Clouds should rise to top amid host of Aintree clues

Paul Nicholls has won this race an impressive seven times in the past 10 years

Ut Majeur Aulmes clears the last under Ciaran Gethings to land the Geoffrey Gilbey Trophy Chase at Newbury (Rex)

It’s an unofficial Grand National trials’ day with several leading Aintree players taking final exams around Britain this afternoon, including Many Clouds, joint-favourite to follow up last year’s victory and become the first horse to win the world’s most famous jumps race back-to-back since Red Rum in 1973-74.

Trainer Oliver Sherwood has picked Kelso’s Premier Chase for Many Clouds’ last warm-up, a race not chosen for terrestrial TV coverage, but good enough for Donald McCain, the son of Red Rum’s trainer, Ginger, when he mapped out Ballabriggs’ successful National campaign five years ago.

Ballabriggs, also owned by Trevor Hemmings, was actually beaten at Kelso, but it will be surprising if Many Clouds, greatly favoured by these weights, does not brush aside fellow National entries Unioniste, Perfect Candidate and Maggio.

Many have tried – and all have failed – to emulate Red Rum, who went on to a third National triumph in 1977, but Many Clouds has perhaps a better chance than any of bringing it off. Still only nine and perhaps yet to peak, he remains in fine form and, off just a 5lb higher rating, is arguably one of the best handicapped horses in the big race.

Shutthefrontdoor, fifth last April when providing Tony McCoy with his final National ride, and The Druids Nephew, bowling along merrily in front until taking an unlucky fall five fences from home, are strong fancies to do better next month.

They have a lot more on their plates today than Many Clouds in competitive affairs at Newbury and Doncaster respectively, in particular the former, who is likely to find the two and a half miles of the Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase too sharp.

Paul Nicholls has won this race an impressive seven times in the past 10 years and has a strong hand again with Art Mauresque and Sametegal, who predictably head the market.

It might, though, be worth chancing Off The Ground. He has fallen twice in four starts since joining Charlie Longsdon and is not the most fluent of jumpers, but he has been racing with zest, is attractively weighted and has ground conditions to suit.

Now up 9lb, The Druids Nephew may have missed his big chance for Grand National glory. We may have a better idea after he runs in the Grimthorpe Chase, but here, and perhaps again at Aintree, he may struggle to cope with the exciting The Last Samuri

Trainer Kim Bailey is convinced The Last Samuri is a genuine National horse, if not this year then next, and being a great believer in striking while the iron is hot, decided after the eight-year-old’s taking Kempton win over Christmas that it should be this year.

Earlier, the 2014 Aintree hero Pineau De Re has his prep in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Newbury, along with Alvarado, fourth in the past two Nationals. Today is not the main target for any of these National contenders, but The Last Samuri has a solid look about him, while Pineau De Re showed when winning at Carlisle in December, that there is life in the old dog yet.

Charlie Appleby’s Tryster, an impressive winner of a Group Three on his first run in Dubai last month, is odds-on to land the Group One Jebel Hatta at Meydan’s “Super Saturday” fixture.