Conti out to make up for fall in pre-National race

SILVINIACO Conti will attempt to atone for a late fall in the Cheltenham Gold Cup when he contests the Betfred Bowl at Aintree on the opening day of the three-day Grand National meeting this afternoon.

Paul Nicholls’ chaser was still travelling well within himself in the blue riband event when he came down at the third-last fence.

“It was just one of those things, who knows what would have happened,” said Nicholls. “He was travelling nicely but we move on, that’s all we can do. He seems in good form at home but it’s always hard to judge the horses who have been trained for Cheltenham when you take them to Aintree. It’s obviously completely different. We’ll give it a go. He was prepared for Cheltenham, not Aintree, but he seems very well at home.”

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Trainer Mouse Morris expects the step back up in trip to suit First Lieutenant, who finished runner-up in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. Bryan Cooper, who has ridden First Lieutenant on his last four starts, keeps the mount.

“He’s back up in trip. He gets three miles no problem at all,” said Morris. “He ran a good race in the Ryanair and I’m sure he’ll go well again.”

The Giant Bolster ran another solid race in the Gold Cup, following up his second place finish last year with a fine fourth.

Trainer David Bridgwater said: “He’s come out of the Gold Cup fine. He lost ten lengths with a mistake at the top of the hill and was also slow at the second-last. Without those mistakes he’d have been bang there. It’s only his jumping that is letting him down at present. He should have his ground now but that’s the same for all of them.

“Every time he’s met Silviniaco Conti he’s been beaten seven lengths so we’re hoping to get a bit closer. There’s also the Irish horses to beat. If he can bring home some prize money to pay for the diesel I’ll be happy.”

In the John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle, Nicky Henderson feels Oscar Whisky can put a baffling Cheltenham Festival performance behind him when he bids to win the race for the third successive year today.

The Seven Barrows trainer admitted he cannot understand why Oscar Whisky underperformed in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, but is confident the eight-year-old will be seen in his true colours back on Merseyside. “He’s won it twice, so why wouldn’t he win it three times?” said Henderson. “I’m not sure quite what happened at Cheltenham. He seems bright and had been working well since then. This is his race and his track.”

Henderson also saddles Grandouet, who appeared to be going very well when he fell four out in the Champion Hurdle. As that was only Grandouet’s second run of the season, the trainer has reason to believe there is more to come. “He was travelling very well and he’s a fresh horse, so I’d be very hopeful,” he said.

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Countrywide Flame kept on strongly to claim third behind Hurricane Fly and Rock On Ruby in the Champion Hurdle and his trainer John Quinn has every reason to be optimistic of another good display. Countrywide Flame stays well and last year he was second to Grumeti in the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle on this card. “It’s a very good race, but he likes the track and he’s in good form, so I expect a good run out of him,” said Quinn.

The New One was the best young horse at this distance when winning the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. His trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, is hoping the five-year-old can continue his progression as he takes a hike in class. “He’ll have to keep on improving and let’s hope he can,” said Twiston-Davies. “It was a fantastic performance and he deserves the chance at this level.”

Zarkandar was fourth at Cheltenham. The Nicholls-trained gelding will be equipped with blinkers for the first time over hurdles, though he did wear them on the Flat when trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre. “He wore them on the Flat and it might help him,” said jockey Ruby Walsh.