Top commentator Simon Holt has two selections for the second day of the Randox Health Grand National meeting at Aintree.
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GOD'S OWN, winner of the JLT Melling Chase last year when he benefitted from the fall of Vautour, is fancied to follow up in Friday's renewal of this Grade One contest at Aintree.
The Tom George-trained gelding is quite ground dependent and seems best in the autumn and the spring when conditions are less taxing. After his win at the Grand National meeting 12 months ago, he went onto beat Vautour at Punchestown and, once again, it looks like he has been trained to peak for April.
Running for the first time since finishing third to Un De Sceaux in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December, God's Own produced a solid effort in last month's Queen Mother Champion Chase, holding every chance until a serious mistake at the second last stopped him in his tracks.
But for that error, he would probably have finished much closer than fifth behind Special Tiara and, now over a course and distance which seems to suit him ideally, is fancied to turn the tables on the runner-up Fox Norton and fourth-placed Top Gamble while Traffic Fluide was just behind him in sixth.
God's Own is closely weighted here with Royal Regatta and Kylemore Lough who beat him a couple of lengths at Ascot in December but, again, he is fancied to reverse the placings on 4lb better terms.
Fox Norton is obviously the form horse following that battling second at the Cheltenham festival and has enjoyed a good season.
However, he ran a bit flat at this meeting last year and the fact that, in the past, he has reportedly needed time between races is a bit off-putting given that such horses who run well at Cheltenham often fail to recover in time for Aintree. And, while he tends to finish very strongly over two miles, this extra half mile is further than he's gone before.
Sub Lieutenant could be a bigger threat after his stirring late rally up the hill to chase home Un De Sceaux in the Ryanair last month.
The eight-year-old seems in the form of his life, finished well clear of a below-par Uxizandre in that race and boasts other excellent placings this season behind Djakadam and the Gold Cup winner Sizing John.
Uxizandre, successful at this meeting in 2014, made a terrific return to action (after more than a year off the track) when second to Un De Sceaux at Cheltenham in January (Top Gamble third, Royal Regatta pulled up) but may have bounced in the Ryanair, a race he won in 2015 when visored for the first time.
A better run can possibly be expected with the visor re-applied now.
In the Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase, AS DE MEE is fancied to follow-up his Grand Sefton victory over the course and distance in early December.
Paul Nicholls' seven-year-old handled the big fences with aplomb that day and is a horse who knows how to look after himself. On the book, he has to find a bit more improvement to confirm the placings with five-length runner-up Seefood (now 6lb better off) and third-placed Henryville (8lb better) but he could well make the necessary progress.
As De Mee again handled the course well but faded in the closing stages when seventh in this race 12 months ago but had run previously at the Cheltenham Festival whereas, this time, he should go to post a fresh horse on his first outing since February.
The champion trainer has a useful second string in Bouvreuil, a good third behind Road To Respect at Cheltenham last month (Ballykan sixth, Henryville ninth) and he also shapes like a horse who can meet this unique challenge.
Posted at 1740 BST on 06/04/17.
