Elliott looking for further Aintree success Gordon Elliott shot to prominence when Silver Birch won last year´s Grand National and the County Meath handler is aiming for further success at the Aintree Festival this year. Elliott?s Salford City, fifth in the Derby in 2004 and a Grade Two winner over hurdles, is reported to be in top shape ahead of the Littlewoods Direct Imagine Appeal Top Novices´ Hurdle on Friday. "He´s in great form. He worked very well around Fairyhouse with Nina (Carberry) last Monday (March 24th)," said the trainer. "I was very happy with him and he´ll run on Friday, provided the ground is on the soft side of good. "It looks like a hot contest with Captain Cee Bee and a couple of others, but if the ground comes up to suit he´ll jump out and make it. "We would be hoping that he would get placed and Nina will ride him again. "I wouldn´t be worried about the fact that he has not run since November because he has worked at Dundalk as well as Fairyhouse - he is fit and well enough to take his chance." Harper Valley beat Franchoek in December and put a subsequent disappointment behind him when warming up for Thursday´s John Smith´s-sponsored 4-Y-O Novices´ Hurdle with a win on the Flat. Elliott added: "Harper Valley won very well at Dundalk and I was more than pleased with him. He has come out of his run in great form. "Like a lot of our runners, if the ground is on the quick side he won´t run, but I´d be hopeful that it will be OK and that he will run a good race." Elliott has handed Newton Bridge two entries and is expecting the seven-year-old to give another good account. "Newton Bridge might struggle to get in to the John Smith´s Handicap Hurdle, but there´s the #40,000 Novices´ Handicap Chase for amateur riders on Saturday," said Elliott. "If he gets into that, he will run and won´t be too far away. Nina will ride him as well. "He is also in good form and came out of his run over hurdles at Fairyhouse well. He ran a great race there and is fit and well." Elliott will be without a runner in the Grand National this year, but is hopeful his 2007 hero Silver Birch will be back for another crack next term. "Silver Birch is great. He´s on the walker at the moment so it´s all systems go for next year but he won´t run for four or five months," he continued. "He owes us nothing so we won´t risk him if he is not right but, at the moment, it is all looking good for a tilt at next year´s race."ce."
