High Hopes For Star Trek

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is looking forward to running Eurotrek in the John Smith's Grand National, in which he currently has six horses engaged.

The Ditcheat maestro has purposely kept the 11-year-old fresh since his impressive victory in the Becher Chase in November and is delighted with the way preparations have taken shape.

'After the Becher Chase we kept him fresh and he's very, very well,' he said.

'We've trained him for the race and the others have all had a busy season. He was impressive in the Becher Chase so we know he likes it around there.

'Obviously he has a lot of weight but he is a classy horse and he goes well fresh.

'He's fragile and he's always been hard to train so if we were going to have a serious go at the National, there was no point in running him again.

'He's had no problems at all since he won. He went home for a month or so and came back to us at the beginning of January and we've just picked him up.'

Liam Heard was on board when the pair scored by eight lengths in the Becher and looks set to renew the partnership ? providing Ruby Walsh rides 2005 winner Hedgehunter.

'Obviously if Hedgehunter runs he's going to ride him, but if he didn't run I suspect Ruby would then get on Eurotrek,' Nicholls told At The Races.

'At the moment, Liam Heard won the Becher on him and if Ruby stays on Hedgehunter he'll ride him.

'It is a big chance but he's done well this season. He won the Rehearsal Chase on Neptune Collonges and then he won the Becher on this horse.'

Of the other entrants, Nicholls hopes Royal Auclair can acquit himself well.

'He definitely runs in the race and he was second two years ago,' Nicholls said.

'Joe Tizzard rides him and he rode him in the cross-country race at Cheltenham. He ran OK and he'd be much better if the ground is decent.'

Both Thisthatandtother and Armaturk are possibles at this stage, although the duo have alternative options at the Aintree meeting.

Of the former, Nicholls said: 'He's in the Betfair Bowl and I want to look at the entries for that.

'He's run in the race before and finished fourth but that was after he'd won the Ryanair.

'He's the sort of horse I could see running really well in the National if the ground was good.

'He's crying out for a trip nowadays and he's always been one of those horses that gives his all.

'He came back from a year off with injury and ran a great race behind Racing Demon in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon but he's hard to place and he is 11 now.

'Over the years he's been a great horse. He's won a Tolworth Hurdle and some nice novice chases but it's just hard to place him now.'

Plans for Armaturk are still to be firmed up, although he is likely to run over the National fences one way or the other.

'The Topham is another possibility and the two-miles-five around there might just suit him very well,' explained Nicholls.

'I've got to discuss it with Mr (Trevor) Hemmings (owner) and his team and we'll leave him in both and look at what the ground is like.'

Nicholls' potential representatives are completed by Le Duc and Lou Du Moulin Mas.

Neither are guaranteed to make the cut, with many horses currently situated above them in the weights, but Le Duc would take his chance if circumstance allows.

'He's been around Aintree before and he likes it around there but he needs 10 to come out to get in and if they come out he will run,' Nicholls concluded.

(C) PA Sport