Aintree

Irish domination turned into Mullins domination last year, when the trainer achieved the extraordinary feat of sending out the first three home and five of the first seven, with his other runner brought down. Winner Nick Rockett can't take part today but placed horses I Am Maximus (the 2024 winner) and Grangeclare West should be all set to run well again and the stable has a further six candidates, including last year's breathtaking Scottish National winner Captain Cody. It may sound dangerous to say it, though, but calculations do not start and end with Willie Mullins, and other Irish yards could also have leading players. Gordon Elliott runs 2024 Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe with the stable's number one jockey on board, while stablemates Favori De Champdou (next-best selection) and Stellar Story make serious each-way appeal, but it may well be Henry de Bromhead who has the final say. He has an interesting second string in Gorgeous Tom but this is the day for MONTY'S STAR (nap) to shine. An abundance of Grade 1 assignments have left him with vastly more place than win prize-money but this new trip can reveal him in a new light, just as it did for the yard's Minella Times in 2021. Iroko, Jagwar, Haiti Couleurs and Panic Attack have been talked about fairly loudly for this race for most of the winter but Johnnywho may in fact emerge best of the British-trained runners.[Richard Austen]