Aintree

The first four from the Cheltenham Festival hunter chase reoppose and there can be optimism that the winner Barton Snow will be fine back down in trip, but today's race does pose a different test and he doesn't appear to be straightforward, so at the odds there are reasons to look elsewhere. The drop back in distance may not be ideal for the Cheltenham runner-up Its On The Line on the forecast ground, with his 2024 win in this race having come on heavy going. Unexpected Party arrives with leading form claims but he may be vulnerable to stronger stayers now that he's back into a more competitive race. The form of A MOMENTS MADNESS isn't yet in the same parish as that of the leading contenders but he's very lightly raced and his front-running style could be an ideal match for the National fences. In a race that has thrown up some shock results over the years, he earns the vote ahead of Irish challenger Lets Go Champ, who showed strong form at Gowran Park last month.[Ben Hutton]