4.05 Aintree My Drogo 0.5pt ew 6-1

Not my usual hunting ground, but My Drogo won for us last time as a mention, in the style of a horse who had retained all his old ability, or at least a good deal of it!

Classed as the best horse Skelton had trained a few years ago, My Drogo was beset by injuries and never quite hit the heights once expected.

The Kelvin-Hughes held onto him and sent him Pointing where he seemed to find a level of his old form and when he appeared in the famous Walrus Hunters Chase at Haydock, he coasted round and looked to really enjoy scrapping it out at the end.

It felt for much of that race as if he could have gone several gears quicker and it was encouraging to see him have a race of it at the end.

His jumping round Haydock, was decent, which will be essential round the National fences.

Will Biddick needs no introduction and knows his way round here blindfolded, so the jockey booking is a big tick and to repeat myself, if he still has a modicum of that old ability, he surely wins this.

4.40 Aintree The Folkes Tiara 0.5pt ew 7-1 4 Places, Petit Tonnerre 0.5pt ew 8-1 4 Places

Two bites at this particular pie.

The Foles Tiara looks to almost be improving, or at least peaking at the age of nine, as his best two performances have been his last two.

Always a useful tool for Henry De Bromhead, he seems to come alive on decent ground, which he should get here and a win at Fairyhouse over The King of PRS has been well franked by the second and his second to An Peann Dearg was franked when that one went on to beat My Mate Mozzie next time, before flopping over too far a trip at Cheltenham.

Our Rach is back on board and hopefully will cement a good day for her already.

We were on Petit Tonnerre when he finally broke his duck over fences two runs ago. He was a bit short last time, in his quest for a follow up and it is amazing how horses that are shorter than they should be in the market, so often fail to deliver.

In the case of Petit Tonnerre, in his defence, he was still going incredibly well when brought down by a fallen horse. As long as he hasn’t been affected by that tumble, this race promises to be run at the fast pace he needs and Jonjo’s team seem to have finally realised that riding a bit closer to the pace, is what suits best. He should run a big race.