Paul Nicholls' Grand National Squad He's a 14-time champion trainer in Britain and while Paul Nicholls doesn't quite have the firepower of days gone by, the Ditcheat chief remains a powerful operator. Nicholls won his only Grand National at Aintree with Neptune Collonges in 2012, the popular grey getting up in the colours of the late John Hales to deny Sunnyhillboy by a nose in the closest finish to the race for many a year. Nicholls currently has five possibilities in the 34-strong field as he bids to bag the Aintree contest for a second time. Check out the Betfred free bet offer If you already have a Betfred account, discover more of the best betting sites. Hitman The nine-year-old has never won beyond 2m5½f, which counts against him, and is without a win of any sort since November 2022. That said, he has finished second in all three starts this season in strong handicaps at Aintree, Ascot and Newbury. A mark of 156 looks about fair on balance but the fact he has never run beyond three miles makes this an unknown and, on balance, he doesn't look the strongest stayer. Bravemansgame The 2022 King George winner would go on and finish second behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup that season but he has arguably never looked quite as good since. He has run some decent races in defeat but perhaps doesn't find as much come the business end any more. That has looked the case this season in defeats at Wetherby, Haydock and Newbury, while he was down the field at Kempton on Boxing Day as Banbridge landed the King George. He's dropped to a mark of 155, however, and his trainer has long believed this race might suit him. If it does, he has the class to go well with 11st on his back. Threeunderthrufive Perhaps the key Nicholls contender could be Threeunderthrufive, fourth in the Scottish National at Ayr two years ago and now seemingly in cracking form. He won the Swinley Handicap Chase at Ascot over three miles last season and was just denied a repeat success in February by Victtorino in photo-finish. He handles all conditions underfoot and this race has long been touted as one he might take to. He has never run at Aintree before but a mark of 153 — with 10st 12lb on his back — looks like one from which he can go well and he has little to prove in terms of stamina. Kandoo Kid Kandoo Kid was third in the Topham at this meeting a year ago off a mark of 142. He had a wind op over the summer and returned to action by winning the Coral Gold Cup over three-and-a-quarter-miles at Newbury in November. He's only run once since, going back to Newbury at the start of March for the Greatwood Gold Cup, but the drop back to two-and-a-half-miles there appeared to catch him out. He's unexposed as a stayer and his Newbury win in November was certainly a positive in that regard. Stay Away Fay A Cheltenham Festival winner via the Albert Bartlett in 2023 as a novice over hurdles, the Shantou gelding landed successive chase wins later that year, including the Grade 2 Esher Novices' Chase over three miles at Sandown. Stamina is no question, but he was pulled up in last season's Scottish National up at Ayr, struggling from around halfway. He underwent a wind op and failed to compete again, over hurdles this time, at Aintree on Boxing Day. He comes back to Merseyside having finished 44 lengths behind the winner in the Ultima at Cheltenham from this mark and he needs a big rebound now.
