Henry De Bromhead’s Heart Wood – who won the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month – heads the seven entries in the JCB Melling Chase (4.05pm), the Grade One feature on Ladies Day at the 2026 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
With dual Melling Chase winner Jonbon bypassing Aintree for a crack at the Celebration Chase at Sandown later this month, Henry de Bromhead’s eight-year-old is the star attraction as he bids for for the Cheltenham-Aintree double.
The Irish are also represented by Solness who moves up in trip from two miles for Joseph O’Brien.
Also going up in trip is Dan Skelton’s L’Eau du Sud after finishing third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while stablemate Grey Dawning – second to Gaelic Warrior in the Bowl Chase at Aintree last year – drops back in distance following his fourth-placed finish behind the same Willie Mullins-trained rival in last month’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Gidleigh Park was second in the novice Grade One over the same track and trip 12 months ago and makes just his third outing of the campaign for Harry Fry, with Jane Williams’ Saint Segal and Joe Tizzard’s JPR One completing the seven entries.
On Jonbon bypassing Aintree, trainer Nicky Henderson told the Press Association: “We’re going to wait for Sandown and the long and short of it is he had a hard race at Ascot in February which was eight weeks ago and then went to Cheltenham and not surprisingly had another hard race.
“There was a little bit of a thought he might have been a little bit flat at Cheltenham, but we were unsure and we did a little bit of work with him on Saturday and it just appealed to me, with the weather nice, the sun out and the grass looking a bit greener, we’ll wait for Sandown.
“We’ll go again for the Celebration Chase and we know we likes it there. Last year he did Cheltenham, Aintree and Sandown and that flattened him out, he was flat at Sandown when second to Il Etait Temps. I just want to get him ripe fresh again and another two weeks will do him good then we can bomb off to Sandown for his old favourite Celebration Chase where we know he loves it.
The thinking is it is a lovely place to round off the season for him and he’s in great form, Nico (De Boinville) sat on him Saturday and it’s not that he worked badly or anything. We just think we can freshen up a little bit more. He can’t do both so we’ll take him for the end-of-season party.”
A mistake at the last flight cost Sober Glory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he will seek compensation in the Thatprizeguy Top Novices’ Hurdle (2.55pm).
The Grade One contest has six entries with Alan King’s Supreme fourth Baron Noir and County Hurdle fifth Sinnatra the main rivals to Philip Hobbs and Johnson White-trained Cheltenham Festival runner-up.
Paul Nicholls won the William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase (2.20pm) with Caldwell Potter 12 months ago and will attempt a repeat with Regent’s Stroll who follows the same path having run in the Jack Richards at Cheltenham last month.
In opposition is Gary and Josh Moore’s Brown Advisory third Salver, Jamie Snowden’s Wendigo, who was a faller in the same race, and Stuart Edmunds’ Miami Magic, who has already beaten Regent’s Stroll once this season.
Nicholls again has a strong hand in the Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (4.40pm) where rising stable star No Drama This End will be partnered by Sam Twiston-Davies for the first time, as he steps up to three miles in a bid to make amends for his Turners Novices’ Hurdle disappointment.
That leaves Harry Cobden free to partner unexposed stablemate Talk To The Man.
Albert Bartlett winner Johnny’s Jury, Ben Pauling’ Mondoui’boy – who was fourth in the same race – and Joe Tizzard’s sixth Kripticjim also run while Turners third Zeus Power and Skelton’s Dalton Lad will bid for a four-timer.
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