Take advice and back Citizen

Tips: Six-year-old boasts highest mark in field including more highly-tried rivals

Ben Pauling set his sights on the Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle for GLOBAL CITIZEN following a widemargin win back in February and his plan can now come to fruition at Aintree.

A nine-length win in the Dovecote saw his rating rocket to 149 from 130, ruling out possible handicap aims at both Sandown and Cheltenham while prompting Pauling to bring this Grade One heat into consideration.

The six-year-old actually boasts the highest mark here against some much more highly-tried rivals and he can complete his transition to top novice level.

MIN found only Altior too good at Cheltenham and in that rival’s absence, he could take all the beating in the JLT Melling Chase.

Willie Mullins’ charge served it up to his old rival in the Champion Chase, but Altior had too many guns and Min had to settle for a creditable second.

That was still an excellent effort, though, and put to bed any suggestions that Min was not quite the force of old, an idea some had raised after his reverse in the stewards’ room at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Mullins switches back up to two and a half miles here after sending Min over that trip on his seasonal bow and while this race is a much tougher proposition, we do at least know he gets the distance.

Ryanair hero BALKO DES FLOS clearly represents some stiff competition over this intermediate trip, but Min just has a touch of class and can put his pace to good use.

TERREFORT is interesting stepped up to three miles and a furlong in the Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

Nicky Henderson bypassed a shorter option earlier in the week at Aintree, and the hint should be taken.

Micky Hammond’s PADDLING could upset the favourite and take the Betfred Home of Goals Galore Novices Handicap Chase at Sedgefield. SELECTIONS: AINTREE: 1.45 Storm Home, 2.20 GLOBAL CITIZEN (NAP), 2.50 Terrefort, 3.25 Min, 4.05 Art Mauresque, 4.40 Santini, 5.15 Danny Kirwan.

SEDGEFIELD: 2.00 Pc Dixon, 2.30 Red Danaher, 3.05 Ilaya, 3.40 Frankie Ballou, 4.15 Glittering Love, 4.50 Hepburn, 5.20 Birch Bank.

DOUBLE: Global Citizen and Min.