Grand National Festival Antepost Tips: Three Cheltenham eye-catchers to follow at Aintree

• Fine effort from Push The Button in the Martin Pipe

• Is Aintree return on the cards for Rowley chaser?

• Two Champion Bumper runners to follow include new Megastar

• We are now NRNB on the 2025 Grand National

Listen to Cheltenham...Only Bettor - Festival debrief

Push The Button - Nigel Twiston-Davies

Push The Button ran a cracker in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle on the Friday last week at Cheltenham over what looked a totally inadequate trip. He is one to follow for Aintree in any race over 3m with a good pace.

The Martin Pipe tends to go to stayer, so I understood the logic in having a crack at the race from his mark of 135. But the trip was beyond his pace qualities and he did well under the circumstances to finish in sixth. He completely outran his odds of 80/181.00.

He was out the back and almost last in the closing stages but started to stay on strongly. Had it not been for a poor jump two out, he might have got closer.

His best work was from that point onwards and he also had to deviate around The Enabler and ended up furthest away from the rail. The winner came stand side with plenty in hand.

We'll see what the assessor does with his mark, whether he deserves to go down a little, but he's been in good handicaps this season and can still win a race granted 3m from a mark in the mid-130s.

Happygolucky - Mel Rowley

Happygolucky's run in the Ultima Handicap Chase behind Myretown was a step in the right direction. Mel Rowley's runner looks back on track now following a mammoth 683 days off.

That absence robbed connections of some good races but he can make up for lost time as he won the 3m1f Aintree Handicap Chase back in 2021 when trained by Kim Bailey and a return to Liverpool looks the obvious move now.

The Ultima was only his second run of the season after that lay-off and, with a bit of progress from four out, put him in the notebook section, albeit a long way behind a very impressive winner.

Previous trainer Bailey said he wasn't a horse for soft ground and I can see the better surface at Liverpool suiting him. He'd be a well treated horse for Rowley with a drop from 140, as at he was off 152 at his peak.

El Cairos - Gary and Jamie Moore

The Cheltenham Champion Bumper is usually a race people are happy to leave alone but El Cairos did well for the Brits and was a unlucky not to finish closer to Bambino Fever.

David Maxwell may not be Cash Asmussen in the saddle, but those are the risks when backing him, and for a man who buys and rides for a hobby, you cannot knock him for his corinthian spirit, for all you can knock his style.

With his win on good ground at Newbury prior to Cheltenham, I have to him on my list as Gary Moore won the Grade 2 Aintree Bumper with the beautiful looking Megastar back in 2010 after finishing fifth in the Champion Bumper. History and all that.

El Cairos travelled well at Cheltenham but "The Max" got in a bit of trouble and tangle at the end of the race. It's usually quite a rough race, due to the field size, so he wouldn't be alone in that.

I'd also throw in Dan Skelton's Fortune De Mer, who travelled well despite over-racing with a keenness cost him at the end. Aintree will suit him too but El Cairos might just follow the Megastar route.

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