Aintree Grand National season: Who are the in-form trainers ahead of key meetings at Fairyhouse and Aintree? It's an exciting time of year for racing fans across both codes, as Flat racing on the turf is back and building towards the summer and it's also Grand National season in the National Hunt sphere. Focusing on the latter, there's Grade 1 action on offer alongside the Aintree and Irish Grand Nationals, so don't miss out! We've picked out some of the trainers in decent form ahead of these key spring festivals. Willie Mullins No one will be surprised to see Willie Mullins' name on the list and he's operating at a strike-rate of 30 per cent in the last fortnight, which is very healthy indeed. He has won the last two renewals of the Grand National at Aintree and has several entries near the top of the market. Aintree's other top races will also go under consideration and Salvator Mundi looks like a serious contender for the Maghull Novices' Chase. A Grade 1 winner at this meeting over hurdles last season, he has been kept fresh after missing Cheltenham. Fairyhouse hosts the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle, which Mullins has won for the last four years, and he also has some interesting novices for the Irish Grand National. Adam Nicol It remains to be seen whether Nicol will have too many runners at Aintree, but his stable star, Minella Study, is one to watch if lining up in the Anniversary Four-Year-Old Hurdle. That horse ran an absolute cracker to finish third in the Triumph Hurdle and would have every chance in Aintree's equivalent on that form. Nicol has been in really good form of late and that bodes well if he can continue that trend at Aintree next week. He has four winners from 11 runners, giving him a strike-rate of 36 per cent in the last fortnight. Emma Lavelle British trainer Emma Lavelle is operating at a 37 per cent win rate in the last fortnight. She has landed seven winners and a further six top-three finishes from just 19 runners and will be keen to keep that form up ahead of the big meeting next week. Ma Shantou is probably her stable star and although he never travelled in the Stayers' Hurdle, he has the opportunity to make amends in the Liverpool Hurdle. It's often much less competitive than the Cheltenham race and provides the opportunity to get back on track. Another potential Aintree runner is the useful handicap hurdler Guard Duty and although he also underperformed at Cheltenham, the nine-year-old is capable of much better. Ciaran Murphy County Westmeath-based handler Ciaran Murphy is a dual-purpose trainer, and he has two winners from his last five National Hunt runners. He could therefore be one to watch if having any runners over the Easter weekend, with Moudan possibly lining up in a Listed novice handicap at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
