RACING: DESSIE HUGHES saddled Black Apalachi to finish second last year and is happy with his two runners, Vic Venturi and In Compliance, for this year's Grand National.

Both have experience of the unique National fences, with Vic Venturi winning the Becher Chase in 2009 and getting as far as the 20th last year, and In Compliance finishing sixth in last year’s Topham.

“They travelled over today and both are in good form,” the Co Kildare trainer said yesterday.

“In Compliance ran quite well in the Topham last year and Vic Venturi has won the Becher Chase and was going well in the National when he was brought down.

He’s got the same weight he had last year and if the ground is good he’ll run really well.”

Joint-owner Robert Waley-Cohen has high hopes for Oscar Time, who shaped well in his prep race when third to The Midnight Club in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in March.

“The thing you take on trust is whether he will jump the fences because he’s never been there before, and whether he will get the trip as he has never run over it before,” he said. “I thought he might just have needed the run last time. He ran a bit fresh early on and I think he just blew up at the last.

“I thought he was going to win and so did Sam (Waley-Cohen, jockey and son).

Even so he ran a great Grand National trial.”

Meanwhile, Denman’s owner Paul Barber believes the breathing operation he was given after the Hennessy Gold Cup has had a huge effect on his capability to recover from his races.

The ever-popular 11-year-old goes in search of only his second win since his Gold Cup success of 2008 in today’s totesport Bowl.

Incredibly, since that Cheltenham win he has finished second in the next three renewals, to Kauto Star, Imperial Commander and Long Run.

He has not taken much racing in recent years with his campaign built around Cheltenham, but Barber is of the view the decision of Paul Nicholls to cauterise his palate has had the right influence on his ability to recover from his races. Ruby Walsh, who has won seven of his nine races on Denman, is also back on board.

“It’s amazing he’s only won the one race since his Gold Cup given that he’s run so many good races since then,” said Barber.

“The operation he had on his palate has made a huge difference to his breathing – at home and on the racecourse. Instead of taking three months to get over a race he bounced back from the Gold Cup in three days. “I’m not saying he’s going to win or anything but he’s in great order, he looks in great order anyway.

“It speaks volumes for him and Kauto Star that they both ran so well in a Gold Cup that many regarded as the best of a generation as 11-year-olds. It was fabulous to see a young horse (Long Run) coming through too, I just wish he’d come through a year later but that’s beside the point!”