Trainer Paul Nicholls, who looks set to saddle as many as five runners in Saturday's Grand National, can get in the winning mood by taking tomorrow's major prize back to Somerset as the three-day Aintree Festival gets underway.

Nicholls saddles Valley Henry in the £150,000 Martell Cognac Cup Chase, and Barry Geraghty's mount has excellent credentials.

A triple-winner this season, the eight-year-old ran a fine race in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup, trying to match strides with the winner Best Mate inside the final half-mile before fading to finish fourth.

It's anyone's guess just what Cheltenham took out of Valley Henry, but considering his likely main rival tomorrow, Commanche Court, also ran in the Gold Cup, finishing sixth, he too, is coming here off the back of a tough race.

Valley Henry will do for me - to give Paul Nicholls a flying start to what could be a memorable meeting for the Ditcheat handler.

Moneytrain is awarded my Nap vote in the Ember Inns Anniversary 4YO Novices' Hurdle.

Trained in Germany by Christian Von der Recke, Norman Williamson's mount was cruising along at Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle when he was brought down in a melee at the third-last flight.

Although that happened too far out to say for sure how Moneytrain would have fared, he was travelling well enough at the time.

The Martell Cognac Golden Cross Inn Fox Hunters' Chase, confined to amateur riders, is tomorrow's race over the Grand National obstacles.

Plenty of thrills and spills are assured, and, hopefully Dale Jewett will enjoy the former on Divet Hill, trained in Scotland by Ann Hamilton.

The nine-year-old, a prolific winner earlier this season, has since been qualified for hunter chases. He was leading at Kelso last month until approaching the final fence. That race should have put him spot-on for this £35,000 showpiece. All he needs now is a lot of luck.

Xenophon, who landed some hefty bets at the Cheltenham Festival, goes for a notable double in the Martell Cognac Nisa Today's Handicap Hurdle. Mick Fitzgerald again has the mount on the Irish raider, who is trained by the shrewd Tony Martin.

Thursday's tips:

Aintree

2.00 Xenophon, 2.35 Valley Henry, 3.10 Log On Intersky, 3.45 Divet Hill, 4.20 Moneytrain (Nap), 4.55 Jakari, 5.30 Crystal d'Ainay.

Leicester

2.10 Ever Cheerful, 2.45 Hit's Only Money, 3.20 Cara Fantasy, 3.55 Flight Of Esteem, 4.30 Bond Becks, 5.05 Love In Seattle, 5.40 Arjay.

- Tomorrow's other meeting is at Taunton.

Updated: 11:31 Wednesday, April 02, 2003