Balnaslow Aintree bound Trainer Graham McKeever is looking forward to a tilt at Thursday's Randox Health Foxhunters' Chase at Aintree with the talented Balnaslow. The 10-year-old, who has previously enjoyed spells with Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, ran a fantastic race to finish a close-up fifth in the Foxhunter Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival. He has ground to make up on both Cheltenham winner Pacha Du Polder and the fourth On The Fringe, who bids for a hat-trick in this event over the Grand National fences. McKeever said: "For the first couple of days following Cheltenham, Balnaslow was tired enough after all the travelling but since then he has been working away and has come back to himself very good. "If anything, I think he has improved a bit from Cheltenham. I am more confident heading to Aintree than I was going to Cheltenham. "He lost a shoe at Cheltenham but I am not sure it made that much of difference. It certainly wasn't the difference between winning and losing. I think the mistake at the last was more costly and, had he got a flyer there, he would have been much closer. "If he takes to the fences at Aintree, he is going to take some whacking! "He does jump very well and when he goes to the front and gets into that nice rhythm he has, it takes a lot of horses out their comfort zone. We think he can run a big race. "Derek O'Connor is booked to ride."
