Hedgehunter Travels Tomorrow

Hedgehunter, winner of the John Smith's Grand National in 2005 and runner-up to Numbersixvalverde 12 months ago, will leave his Carlow stable tomorrow morning (Thursday) in readiness for another attempt under top-weight in the big race at Aintree on Saturday.

Trainer Willie Mullins, who will also be represented by Livingstonebramble and Bothar Na, reported his stable-star A1 as he prepared for his trip across the Irish Sea.

Mullins said: 'Hedgehunter is in good form, and I could not be more pleased with him.

'He did his final piece of work last weekend and we were all very happy with him, so it is all systems go with fingers and toes crossed that we get the rub of the green.'

Hedgehunter has not raced over fences since last year's brave effort under the same weight, but Mullins gave him two runs over hurdles and was satisfied how he came out of his prep-race at Limerick earlier this month.

He added: 'The trip was too short and the conditions of the race would not have suited us, but it was imperative that we got another run into him before Aintree so it was a case of mission accomplished.

'We get a 9lb pull with Numbersixvalverde, and the drying ground will also be in our favour. Last year Ruby (Walsh) felt that the wet going just anchored us, and obviously it is easier to carry weight when the ground is not so testing.'

David Casey and Davy Condon will ride Mullins's other two runners, but the trainer won't decide until later today who partners which.

Mullins said:'The trip is the worry with Livingstonebramble, but he got three miles in the heavy well enough when runner-up to Homer Wells at Gowran Park, and his pedigree suggests that the extra distance won't be a problem.

'Bothar Na has not run since he pulled up in the Hennessy at Newbury in November, but he had earlier won at Tralee and Listowel and deserves to take his chance.'

However, though the Aintree course has been well watered, Mullins feels that Homer Wells, who beat Jack High, Point Barrow and Numbersixvalverde in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse, is a confirmed soft ground horse, and, with conditions bordering on the perfect, Homer Wells will stay at home, while Joueur d'Estruval, his fifth entry in the race, is only 47th in the list and Mullins is resigned to him missing the cut.

This means that three horses in the top 40 of the weights will miss the race. Besides Armaturk and Homer Wells, Fota Island goes instead for the Grade One #200,000 John Smith's Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday (April 13).