The 2019 Grand National meeting: Rathvinden ready for finest hour

The 2019 Grand National meeting at Aintree takes centre stage this week and some high-quality performers are set to be on show over the three days.

Buveur D’Air will bid to get back on track after an uncharacteristic fall in the Champion Hurdle last time out. He is a short-priced favourite to do so in the Betway Aintree Hurdle on Thursday and, if on song, will take all the beating in a race he won easily in 2017.

Bristol De Mai, Clan Des Obeaux and Kemboy will clash again in the Betway Bowl Chase on the same afternoon. Bristol De Mai fared best of the trio in the Gold Cup but he and Clan Des Obeaux had hard races, whereas Kemboy departed early which could be an advantage as he will arrive a fresh horse.

It would be great to see Tiger Roll land his second Randox Health Grand National and become the first horse since Red Rum to record back-to-back victories in the iconic race.

However, he is going to find his task much tougher this year and, although he deserves to be favourite, I would not to be backing any horse at 7-2 in a race of this nature.

Here are five to keep on your side over the three days.

Race: Randox Health Grand National (5.15, Saturday). Odds: 11-1.

Warmed up for this race in good style when landing the Bobbyjo Chase in February and proved he has an abundance of stamina when landing the National Hunt Chase at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.

He may be 11 now but horses with the same age have won three of the last seven renewals of the Grand National and he is relatively lightly-raced for his age.

This will be his first start over the National fences, but he jumps well, and his chance would be increased should Ruby Walsh choose to ride him.

Rathvinden will also be 8lb well in at the weights which is another positive plus he handles any ground.

There are a whole host of contenders you can make a case for in this race and my other bet is Vintage Clouds, who is capable of going close granted a clear round.

Race: Betway Handicap Chase (4.20, Saturday). Odds: 9-1.

A useful hurdler, Debece has got his career over fences off to an encouraging start this season winning two of his three starts over the larger obstacles.

Trainer Tim Vaughan has always held Debece in high regard and, after missing a year because of injury, the eight-year-old managed to finish fourth in a Grade Three handicap hurdle at this meeting last year on his comeback run.

That is not the first time Debece has shown good form at the track either as he finished a close third in a Grade One contest in 2017.

He has not got many miles on the clock for his age and there should be lots more to come from him over fences.

Race: Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase (4.05, Friday). Odds: 25-1.

Dan Skelton earmarked this contest run on the National course for Born Survivor after his win in a Listed handicap chase at Wetherby in November.

He ran below-par on his last start at Cheltenham but has been given a break since and has run well fresh in the past plus his rating of 142 looks fair.

Although this will be his first start over the National fences, he is a good jumper and I don’t see the spruce obstacles being a problem for him.

He would prefer good ground and has shown his best form over fences in small-field contests but at 25-1 I am willing to take a chance on him with the Skelton team in flying form.

Race: Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle (1.45, Friday). Odds: 8-1.

Brio Conti caught the eye when fourth in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival on his last start. He travelled extremely well and looked the likeliest winner turning for home before fading.

He probably got to the front too soon but still showed a good attitude to finish in the frame and was only beaten two lengths by William Henry.

That run also came on soft ground and, although he has shown useful form with cut in the ground, he looks best suited by firmer conditions given the way he travels.

Aintree is a track that clearly suits having finished fifth in a Grade One at the Liverpool venue in 2017 and the Paul Nicholls team remain in good form.

Brio Conti will need the rain to stay away but looks sure to go close if he has recovered from his Cheltenham exertions.

Race: Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (4.40, Thursday). Odds: 8-1.

The majority of the contenders for this race ran at the Cheltenham Festival last month, including Eamon An Cnoic who ran a great race to finish fourth in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate.

The eight-year-old travelled well and looked the winner before the second last but ran out of petrol up the Cheltenham hill.

That was just his second start after a wind op which he has clearly benefited from having won a competitive handicap chase at Chepstow on his previous start.

The step back down to two miles will not be an inconvenience and, although he is now on a career-high rating of 139 – 2lb higher than his run at Cheltenham – he still looks feasibly treated.

One slight negative is that he has run two below-par races at Aintree, but he had excuses on both starts and handles all types of ground.

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