Assistant trainer Joe Tizzard nominates eight to follow from the Milbourne Port stable away from his big guns:

Christmas In April

“Dad said to me about the Grand National. He has crept up all the way through and if he keeps going he is only five or six pound off being a Grand National horse. A tilt at the Welsh National could be his first real aim. Extreme trips play into his hands.”

Eldorado Allen

“He has got no mileage on the clock as it hasn’t quite happened for him yet, but he is a seriously talented horse and I’m looking forward to going novice chasing with him. He had those couple of runs in the second half of last season and he has had a real good summer.”

Elixir De Nutz

“We were hoping he would be a Champion Hurdle horse last season. He will go chasing now and he wants a fence to get him to settle. You won’t see him being launched into the deep end to start with as we want to try and build his confidence up.”

Harry Senior

“He was a Grade Two winner round Cheltenham last season and he progressed all season. He is a much stronger horse this year. He has jumped for fun over fences when we schooled him over them. You never know how much he will improve for a fence, but he has schooled well and won a point-to-point so he is an exciting horse.”

Rose Of Arcadia

“She is a very talented mare and she would have gone to Aintree where I think she would have nearly won the mares’ bumper there. She has schooled well and all being well she will end up in the mares’ novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham as she is a very smart filly. We think she is as good a mare as we’ve had in training and we are excited about her.”

Seymour Promise

“I think he will be a nice novice hurdler this season. He was fourth in a nice bumper around Kempton in his race so far. He might go to the Listed bumper at Cheltenham first time out then go over hurdles. He is quite a sharp little horse that I think is quite a nice sort.”

Slate House

“He is being aimed at the Ladbrokes Trophy and will probably go to the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby first. In the Cotswold Chase he was wrong and then it didn’t quite happen at Cheltenham, but he had a hard season. As he went through the season it looked like he was crying out for a trip as well. He is the sort of horse that can switch off and travel in behind and the track at Newbury will suit him.”

Thistlecrack

“Physically he looks as good as ever. I would imagine we will stay over hurdles, but we will take it day-by-day with him. He showed a lot at Newbury last year and that is good enough form to suggest he can win a race like that. One of those long-distance hurdles leading up to Cheltenham he could easily run well in.”