Tom Greenall may have failed in his bid to ride in Saturday's Grand National, but the teenage amateur can still have an Aintree experience to savour tomorrow on the first day of the famous meeting.

Greenall, who is attached to Mick Easterby's Sheriff Hutton yard, partners my Nap selection Sikander A Azam, trained by Mick's son David, in the Martell Cognac Fox Hunters' Chase, run over one circuit of the Grand National course.

Greenall, son of Aintree chairman Lord Daresbury, had hoped to ride the Mick Easterby-trained Hermes lll in the Grand National.

But amateur riders are required to have ridden 15 winners to qualify and Greenall, despite boosting his score to 13 on End Of An Error at Market Rasen last Sunday, fell short of his target when both his mounts at Sedgefield yesterday were beaten.

It is now intended that he will ride Hermes lll, a horse owned by his father and leased to the Grand National Owners' Group, in Friday's Topham Trophy, another race over the National circuit.

Sikander A Azam, also owned by Lord Daresbury and leased to the same group of owners, was a recent winner at Ascot and looks sure to give Greenall a fine ride tomorrow in a race which is described as the 'Amateur Grand National.'

Establishing how much races at Cheltenham earlier this month took out of horses is always a poser as so many of them turn out again at Aintree.

Two in question are St Pirran and Ground Ball, first and second at the Festival, who clash again in the Martell Cognac Red Rum Handicap Chase.

Trained by Paul Nicholls, St Pirran is my fancy to confirm his superiority over his rival, but it again promises to be a close-run thing.

Howle Hill deserves attention in the Unwins Wine Group Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle.

Alan King's charge did not enjoy much luck at Cheltenham, missing the break, but then coming through strongly to challenge for the lead going to the final flight, only to weaken on the uphill finish.

Tomorrow's easier course will suit Robert Thornton's mount much better.

County Durham trainer Howard Johnson is going on a recovery mission with Inglis Drever in the Martell Cognac Makro Mersey Novices' Hurdle.

Unbeaten in his first three races over hurdles, Inglis Drever narrowly came unstuck at Cheltenham when failing by half-a-length to catch Fundamentalist, after a mistake at the second-last flight, which cost him ground and impetus.

Already a winner on this course, Inglis Drever will not be short of supporters as he bids to get back on top tomorrow under regular rider Graham Lee.

If First Gold can reproduce his Cheltenham Gold Cup running of two weeks ago, he will surely be hard to beat in the £150,000 Martell Cognac Gold Cup.

The 11-year-old led until the final turn at Cheltenham before fading into fifth place. Tomorrow's easier course and shorter distance will suit him better, as was illustrated when he won this corresponding race 12 months ago.

Iris's Gift, conqueror of the mighty Baracouda at Cheltenham, is difficult to oppose in the Martell Cognac Liverpool Hurdle.

Thursday's tips:

Aintree

2.00 Iris's Gift, 2.35 First Gold, 3.10 Howle Hill, 3.45 Sikander A Azam (Nap), 4.20 St Pirran, 4.55 Unleash, 5.30 Inglis Drever.

Leicester

2.10 Laconicos, 2.45 Queen of Bulgaria, 3.20 Arresting, 3.55 Swagger Stick, 4.30 Harry Up, 5.05 Rarefied, 5.40 Kareeb.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Taunton.

Updated: 11:55 Wednesday, March 31, 2004