Nicholls and Hemmings hope for another Touch in Grand Sefton

3.15 AintreeVirgin Bet Grand Sefton Handicap Chase | 2m5f | 6yo+ | ITV4/RTV

No trainer matches Paul Nicholls' record since the Grand Sefton Chase was revived in 2003 and he has won the race three times in the last six years.

The champion trainer teams up again with three-time Grand National-winning owner Trevor Hemmings, in whose colours Warriors Tale landed this event for the pair of them 12 months ago.

Bryony Frost is on board Touch Kick, bidding to become the first woman to ride the winner of this 2m5f contest, over 18 of the National fences, on a chaser who scored emphatically at Fakenham in October.

"He won well at Fakenham and we've always had this race in mind for him," Nicholls said. "He’ll run tidy."

Track and trip are going for gold

Ultragold is mighty hard to beat over 2m5f of the National course. No fewer than 64 horses have tried and only one has done it.

That was Gas Line Boy, who forced him into second place in this race in 2017 – an effort sandwiched by victories in back-to-back runnings of the Topham Chase.

Colin Tizzard's charge finished a fine third in the 3m2f Becher Chase last year but was never able to land a blow in the National itself in April and is likely to benefit from this return to his best trip, on a track he handles so well.

Assistant trainer Joe Tizzard said: "His best form has been over these fences and the drop back to the Topham trip is perfect for him.

"He's 11, rising 12, and is in a competitive league, but we're hoping for a good run again."

Henderson hopes it's Present time

Gold Present is out to set the record straight having fallen at the Canal Turn in the first Topham Chase won by Ultragold in 2017.

He has not won since 2017 but wound up last season by matching his career-best Racing Post Rating when finishing second in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase on the final day of the campaign.

Gold Present (near side): has the size to cope with the Grand National fencesCredit: Mark Cranham

Trainer Nicky Henderson said: "He’s run well over the fences before and he's a big, scopey horse so jumping them isn’t that much of a problem to him.

"He's in good form and I'd like to think he'd run well."

What they say

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Flying Angel
He's jumped round there before and seems in quite good form this season so we hope he'll go well.

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Kayf Adventure
Ideally we could have done with the ground being a bit softer. Hopefully he’ll manage the fences – he’s always been a very good jumper.

Venetia Williams, trainer of Didero Vallis
It will be a new venture for him and it will be interesting to see how he handles the fences, you never know until they have a go. He ran okay at Ascot, he got a bit tired late on but I wasn't too disappointed with his run.

Jamie Snowden, trainer of Hogan's Height
He's been a legend for us and this is a sighter for the Foxhunters' in the spring as he's going hunter chasing. He loves his jumping and he's only 3lb above his last winning mark so I hope he can run well.

Eric McNamara, trainer of Gwencily Berbas
We think he might take to the fences and is in great form at home. He was unfortunate to get brought down last time but we're looking forward to running him, having finished second in the Becher Chase back in 2015 with Dare To Endeavour.

Richard Newland, Beau Bay
He ran well in the Topham, albeit he was never really in the race. The slower winter ground will help him and he's been trained for the race.

Louisa Carberry, trainer of It's Jennifer
She ran really well when just touched off at Auteuil six weeks ago and she has been given the same handicap mark that she's competitive off in France, which we're happy with. It’s always an unknown going to Aintree with a horse for the first time but she’s faced up to plenty of different fences and never had any problems.

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