Castle can be king and bowl over Tiger Roll

THE appearance of Tiger Roll on Merseyside in today’s Betway Bowl is welcome on day one of the Grand National meeting, even if the redoubtable history-maker is not bidding to join the pantheon of National Hunt greats in Saturday’s feature. Connections, in their wisdom, believe the dual National winner is not appropriately handicapped to take his chance of replicating the fabulous achievement of Red Rum by winning three Nationals. The rights and wrongs of the decision have been heavily debated, but one thing Tiger Roll will have in his favour this afternoon is a relatively sound surface to bounce off and it will be intriguing to see if he turns up in the same form as at Cheltenham three weeks ago, when he routed his rivals in the Glenfarclas Chase. Gold Cup-fourth Native River, Clan Des Obeaux and Waiting Patiently stand in the 11-year-old’s way this afternoon, but it might be CLONDAW CASTLE (Aintree, nap, 2.50) who springs a surprise in the chasing feature. Trainer Tom George won this race a decade ago with Nacarat, who also used the valuable Kempton handicap won by the selection six weeks ago as a stepping stone to this Grade One prize. Nacarat could only manage third that day before beating Denman et al in the Bowl, whereas Clondaw Castle arrives in Liverpool on the back of a smart success achieved in a swift time. The figures suggest the nine-year-old took a sizeable leap forward for the step up to three miles, the first time he has tackled that trip under rules. Rider Johnny Burke has also struck up a good relationship with the son of Oscar and the duo performed with great credit in the Old Roan Chase at today’s venue last October, when narrowly beaten by Nuts Well. That race has worked out well and it was arguably only the very soft ground which caught him out, so he looks some value to improve a place here on a better surface.