Lee set to unleash promising Almaydan at Aintree on Saturday

Richard Lee is planning to run his highly-promising novice chaser Almaydan in the Sharp Minds Betfair Novices´ Chase (1.20pm) over two miles at Aintree on Saturday, the second leg of the betfair.com Jockeys´ Challenge between Great Britain and Ireland.

The six-year-old won twice on the Flat in 2002 and was successful twice last season in novice hurdle company at Taunton and Exeter.

He made his chasing debut at Huntingdon on October 31, when he put up a fine performance to defeat the well-regarded Be Fair readily by two and a half lengths.

The Herefordshire-based trainer revealed this morning: 'Almaydan is certainly going to run in the Sharp Minds Betfair Novices´ Chase at Aintree on Saturday.

'He´s come out of his race at Huntingdon well and I´m delighted with him.'

Almaydan has made one previous appearance at Aintree, running well to finish fourth in a handicap hurdle under top weight back in May and Lee believes that the Merseyside track suits his charge: 'Aintree should suit him well as it is a sharp, left-handed track. I don´t think which way round bothers him so much, as he won on a right-handed track last time, but he certainly likes a sharp track.

'He´s won on good and good to soft ground, although I wouldn´t want it to rain too much more for him.'

Since Lee took out a training licence in 1986, some fine horses have passed through his hands including the likes of Aintree Festival winners Macgeorge, Delius and Swardean as well as Cheltenham Festival scorers Super Coin and Space Fair and the trainer believes that Almaydan is well up there with them.

'I seriously think he is one of the best horses I´ve ever trained - so does the handicapper I might add!'

Subject to the rules of the betfair.com Jockeys´ Challenge, Lee is hoping to secure the services of Tom Doyle: 'Tom´s schooled him and knows him well. It will be the first time he´s ridden him in a race, if chosen, but he gets on well with the horse.'

This is the second betfair.com Jockeys´ Challenge of 2004, with Britain beating Ireland by 56 points to 38 in the first event at Limerick in July. Last year´s betfair.com Jockeys´ Challenge at Aintree saw Great Britain overcome Ireland by 67 points to 30.

Three of the four races involved in the betfair.com Jockeys´ Challenge will be broadcast live on the BBC, including the #50,000 betfair.com Grand Sefton Chase (2.20pm) over the Grand National fences, while a recording will be shown of the first race, the betfair.com Jockeys´ Challenge Handicap Hurdle (12.45pm). betfair.com will also be running a market on the challenge.

The winning team receives the betfair.com Perpetual Trophy while the trainer whose horses score most points will get #1,000 and their yard will receive #2,000. The jockey gaining the highest level of points wins dinner, bed and breakfast and a four-ball at a top UK golf course. Additionally, the trainer and jockey scoring most points will be awarded a #1,000 donation to a charity of their choice.

The scoring system is 10 points for a win, 7 points for a second, 5 points for a third, 3 points for a fourth and one point for a fifth place. The team captains will make their selections following tomorrow´s overnight declaration stage.

Roy Evans, the Great Britain Team Manager, formed an integral part of Liverpool Football Club´s set-up since his playing debut in 1969. Having been an important member of the coaching team during a golden era at Anfield, he served as manager from 1994 to 1998 and nurtured the careers of players such as Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman. He also had a spell as Swindon´s manager in 2001.

Ireland´s Team Manager Jim Culloty has won the last three renewals of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on the great Best Mate but is currently on the sidelines after breaking his thumb at Exeter on November 2.

Carl Llewellyn, Team Captain for Britain, and Ireland´s team captain Graham Lee are two of the most successful jockeys currently riding. Llewellyn has won the Grand National twice, aboard Party Politics in 1992 and Earth Summit in 1998, while Lee recorded a memorable victory in the 2004 renewal of the world´s greatest race on Ginger McCain´s Amberleigh House.