George looking forward to Aintree

For Tom George, as far as Aintree is concerned his record goes before him - and with a team for this week's Randox Health Grand National Festival brimful of talent, there are encouraging vibes from the Slad trainer.

His pre-Cheltenham pitch that Summerville Boy and Black Op were the best novice hurdlers trained in England was emphatically borne out with the former dramatically turning impending defeat into victory in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, while Black Op showed himself the only one capable of giving Ireland's Samcro a race in the Ballymore.

And while Summerville Boy has been roughed off for the season, the physically impressive Black Op will be back for more in the two-and-a-half-mile Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle on Saturday.

Asked what is his favourite festival, there is little hesitation in the reply: "At Aintree we've won a Martell Cup, the Bowl, the Manifesto and the Red Rum, while we've had a second and a third in the National.

"We love going up there as it's a different kind of pressure to Cheltenham. We're taking a good team that has a bit of everything in it."

George has deliberately altered the routines of his Aintree horses and that was evident in the way they pricked their ears and cantered up one of his many grass banks in the same spirited fashion that should serve them well this week.

He said: "I need them to be very fit, but also very fresh this week.

"On Sunday they went for a walk round the village which is different to what they would usually do.

"You won't get a better place than this to train National Hunt horses. They are as fresh as paint, and cantering up the hedge was also just a bit different for them."

Watching Black Op traverse one of the steep banks at Down Farm Stables, George said: "He did his best to make Samcro fight in the Ballymore and would have been closer if he hadn't hit the last.

"But with this horse, he has the pace to run in anything. He has an unbelievably long stride, but just became a bit unbalanced coming down the hill. I had the perfect Supreme horse in Summerville Boy, but Black Op wouldn't have been disgraced if he'd run in that, I can promise you.

"Next season Black Op will go straight over fences, while Summerville will almost certainly stay over two miles hurdling."

Summerville Boy endured a torrid passage in the Supreme and had to be switched approaching the final flight. George continued: "He did everything he could to throw it all away after Getabird jumped across him coming down the hill.

"What stamps him as a very good horse is that he coped with it all going wrong and still won. Without the interference, he would have won six lengths."

Saint Are contests the National for a fifth time following a preparation that threatened to be derailed by a change to the rules governing hunter chasers.

Second to Many Clouds three years ago and third in the 2016 race, the veteran goes to post under Adrian Heskin with just a run in a novice hurdle and one in a cross-country chase under his belt.

George explained: "His whole campaign has been geared around another shot at the National and he is in his element there, already having had two big paydays.

"But our plans to hunter-chase him ahead of Aintree were scuppered by a ridiculous new rule that prevents hunter chasers from running in the race.

"It meant that at Christmas we had to totally change our plans with him.

"I understand that they don't want to see good horses mopping up all the hunter chases, but they didn't need to make it a blanket thing. Some hunter chases could have been left open to the better horses like Saint Are. Now we will never see another hunter chaser run in the Grand National."

Double Shuffle's enforced absence from the Gold Cup means that he will be appearing for the first time since the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day when tackling Thursday's Betway Bowl.

George surmised: "The rain and the fact he didn't eat up one morning made up our minds for us, but he's had a racecourse gallop and is in good form now. When he ran in the National last year he just didn't stay, and I don't think he ever will, but he should enjoy the Mildmay course and the fences.

"There was no fluke about his proximity to Might Bite at Kempton, and I hope he can prove that."

The Worlds End prevailed in the three-mile novice hurdle at Aintree in 2017 and will now bid for the equivalent of the Stayers' Hurdle.

He said: "I hope the rain stays away for him. They went very steady at Cheltenham and the race turned into a sprint. Consequently he was left a bit flat-footed coming to the last, but he was only beaten seven lengths and will improve a lot on better ground."

Queen Mother Champion Chase third God's Own skips Aintree to wait for Punchestown, but Rocklander will be in the team after his cracking run to make the frame in the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase.

George said: "He has the choice of the three-mile novice or the three-mile handicap chase, but as it's the last chance to run in a novice, I suspect we will go down that route (Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase).

"Last season he came a long way over hurdles and I've always thought he would improve for the step up to three."

Bun Doran missed the cut for the Grand Annual by one and George admitted to being irritated he did not get a run as first reserve.

He said: "The rule as it stands only helps a horse get in if there is a defector up to declaration time the previous day.

"So when horses come out on the day, as happened with the Grand Annual, you are unable to take advantage of the rule.

"It's not right - the deadline should be 9 o'clock on the morning of the race."

Now Bun Doran, who ran well in a handicap chase at Kempton the following day, will try his luck at Aintree among three his trainer saddles in the Red Rum Handicap Chase.