MARTELL Grand National favourite Rough Quest will take his place in the line-up for next Saturday's race, Terry Casey announced yesterday.
"I'm never confident but I've never had him better, and I'm hopeful of a good run," the trainer said.
Meanwhile Miinnehoma, winner of the race two years ago, may miss the race. "He is entered in another race at Aintree and we wilt wait and see whether he runs, said his trainer Martin Pipe. "Chatam, Encore Un Peu and Riverside Boy are all likely to run," he added.
Ground considerations also mean that Jenny Pitman is delaying a decision on Lusty Light's participation. She may rely solely on Superior Finish, for whom dual National winning-jockey Richard Dunwoody was booked on Saturday.
Simon Earle was yesterday hopeful that Dextra Dove will recover from injury in time to run.
Tony Dobbin misses the ride on Tartan Tyrant after a heavy fall at Kelso last Friday. The horse's trainer Gordon Richards said: "Young Carberry will ride him if he runs.
"I'm happy with Tartan Tyrant but the ground needs to be soft for him definitely to run."
Persistent rain has changed the ground at Aintree to the soft side of good, according to clerk of the course Charles Barnett. But he added that "the forecast is for no more rain until the start of the meeting so we have got out fingers crossed for good ground."
Latest betting: 4-1 Rough Quest, 6-1 Lo Stregone (7-1), 10-1 Superior Finish (14-1), Deep Bramble, Son Of War, Young Hustler, 14-1 Life Of A Lord, 16-1 Party Politics, Wylde Hide, 20-1 bar.
