Corach Rambler targeted at Befair Chase

He'll have a prep race too before stepping into Grade One company, the trainer telling William Hill: "We’re going to start him off at Kelso at the end of the month, providing the ground is okay, and then we’ll have a good look at the Betfair Chase at Haydock. That should give us a good idea of where we stand against these Graded chasers and we can then make a bit more of a plan on how his season will look.

"It would be great to go back to the National as we know he loves it around there, but it’s obviously going to be a harder task this time given he’ll be much higher in the weights.

"We always thought he was a good horse, but it was his novice chase win at Aintree in 2021 which was when we really thought we had a good one on our hands. He won so easily, and it was at that point we thought he might be quite exciting. We said to the owners after that race that the big festivals were on the agenda, and so it has proved. It’s been a brilliant journey and hopefully there is more to come."

Connections hope the nine-year-old is capable of improving further with another summer on his back.

"I’m not sure if we know quite how good he is because to win a Grand National like he did and to be as fresh as he was after it out was something you don't see very often. Scu couldn’t believe how well he felt after it and if anything we think he’s improved again over the summer. The way he goes about things makes me think there might be a lot more under the bonnet that would don’t know about, which, if true, is incredibly exciting for all of us," the trainer added.

"He is different to any other horse I’ve ever been associated with. He just does things differently and he really does tell you how he’s doing and the mood he’s in. He’s so smart and clever in everything he does and we can’t wait to get the season underway with him."

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