Vintage fields on first day of National Meeting

Three Cheltenham Festival champions will put their reputations on the line on the opening day of the Martell Cognac Grand National meeting at Aintree tomorrow (Thursday) - Iris´s Gift, who claimed the scalp of Baracouda in the bonusprint.com Stayers´ Hurdle, JCB Triumph Hurdle winner Made in Japan and Grand Annual Chase hero St Pirran.

The close proximity between Aintree and Cheltenham - just two weeks this year - had cynics predicting that the National meeting would suffer, but the Liverpool executive could not have wished for a better-quality opener for the Martell Cognac Laurel Pub Company Liverpool Hurdle.

Three of the eight runners are trained by Jonjo O´Neill, headed by Cheltenham victor Iris´s Gift, who was having only the second run of the season at Prestbury Park and comes here relatively fresh.

O´Neill, who won the race as a jockey on Prominent King 25 years ago, is also represented by Sh Boom, who was still going plenty well enough when he fell four out in the Stayers´, and Smurfit Champion Hurdle disappointment Hasty Prince, while the exciting Royal Rosa adds spice to what should be a terrific curtain-raiser as does the Stayers´ Hurdle third Crystal d´Alnay and last year´s winner Deano´s Beeno.

The £150,000 Martell Cognac Cup comes up next, featuring French challenger First Gold, who rather than carry topweight in the Grand National on Saturday will be attempting to win this Grade 2 chase for the third time in four years. Arkle third Tiutchev and Fondmort, who took minor honours in the Mildmay of Flete at Cheltenham, looks the pick of his seven opponents who also include Valley Henry, Hand Inn Hand, Cyfor Malta, Seebald and Glenelly Gale.

Next up comes the Unwins Wine Group Anniversary Novices´ Hurdle, which carries £110,000 in prize money, making it more valuable than the Triumph, from which five of the first six home, led by winner Made In Japan, renew rivalry.

Nearly all the 100 members of the Grand National Racing Club are expected to be in attendance to cheer home their own horse Sikander A Azam in the 25-runner Martell Cognac Foxhunters´ Chase, with Tom Greenall, 19-year-old son of Lord Daresbury, the Aintree Chairman, looking to erase the disappointment of having missed out on a ride in the National on Hermes III who will now run in Friday´s Martell Cognac Topham Chase..

St Pirran is guaranteed to start favourite for the Martell Cognac Red Rum Handicap Chase, being opposed by 13 runners who include last year´s winner Golden Alpha.

There was a 26lb weight-rise overnight for the Martell Cognac Beefeater Restaurants Handicap Hurdle, and Charlie Swan, who rode his last winner on Patriot Games in this race 12 months ago, will be hoping to again pick up the winning trainer´s trophy with the in-form Old Flame, the mount of David Casey.

And first-day proceedings conclude with another crackerjack for the Martell Cognac Makro Mersey Novices´ Hurdle, with Inglis Drever, a gallant runner-up in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham, the assured market-leader.