Paul Nicholls Grand National Day Runners: Five in the big one but Kandoo Kid can be very competitive

• Paul has five runners in the Aintree Grand National at 16:00

• Kandoo Kid can be very competitive but they all have chances

• Four other runners for Paul on the final day of the Festival

• Read Katie Midwinter's runner-by-runner guide to the National

• Read Dan Fitch's Unmissable Guide to the Grand National

• Get a completely free bet on any racing multi across Aintree

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Last season's Stayers' Hurdle winner, and runner-up in the same race this year, Teahupoo, is the favourite to win the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at 15:05 Aintree today having never finished out of the top two in his last five starts.

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Saturday is Grand National day and our ambassador has 5 live chances in the historic race@PFNicholls joins @BetfairBarry to discuss their chances... pic.twitter.com/aSxNvhKZr8

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Paul on his five Grand National runners at 16:00

Kandoo Kid can be competitive

We run five in the National which is exciting for everyone involved. Harry Cobden has chosen Kandoo Kid and you can see why because he is a lightly raced horse with plenty of upside. Immediately after he finished a close third in last year's Topham I remember saying to Harry that he had two objectives for this season...the Coral Gold Cup and the National.

He duly won the Coral Gold Cup, I've been training him all winter for Aintree and he had a nice day out at Newbury recently under top weight over an inadequate trip. The National is a tough ask but we think he will be very competitive. 

Bravemansgame has thrived during warmer weather

Harry schooled all our National contenders on Monday morning and said that Bravemansgame still feels like a 160 horse. He's been a fabulous flagship for us but has had a lot of hard races against the best chasers in training and is on a downward curve given that his handicap mark has dropped from 172 at its peak to 155.

He's a class horse, a great jumper and if he takes to the fences on ground that should suit then off that rating you never know. You'd imagine Harry would be more fearful of Bravemansgame than any of our other contenders. He has thrived during the recent warm spell and James Reveley has been over from France to give him a school.

Hitman is fresh and the type to run really well

He's been very consistent again this season, running some good solid races from two and a half to three miles. He's got a touch of class and ground conditions are in his favour although there is a bit of a question mark about the trip for him. I've deliberately kept him fresh by sidestepping Cheltenham and he is just the type to run really well.

He does find it hard to win but we will not be disappointed if he finishes second on Saturday. He should give young Freddie Gingell a great first ride in the National.

Threeunderthrufive is in top form and has plenty of positives

We toyed with the idea of running Threeunderthrufive in the 2024 National before deciding it was a year too soon. We know he stays well, appreciates decent ground and he was a solid fourth in the Scottish National in 2023.

I've trained him all season with Aintree in mind and his defeat by the narrowest margin at Ascot two months ago under top weight was highly encouraging. He hasn't had a hard season, is in top form at home and has plenty of positives. He's an interesting each way outsider.

Stay Away Fay has improved since Cheltenham

He looked so good winning the Albert Bartlett two years ago and made a flying start to his career over fences, beating The Changing Man and Grey Dawning at Exeter, winning the Grade 2 Chase at Sandown and then running with much promise in the Cotswold Chase. At that point I felt he was going to be a serious National type with more experience. But his form fell off a cliff after that and I don't really know why.

He wasn't quite right for a while but he is definitely coming to himself now and has improved since Cheltenham where there were little signs of a revival after a messy start. We know he stays well but obviously he needs to show more now and I'm hoping he can give Paul O'Brien a rewarding first ride in the National.

Paul on his four other Aintree runners

13:55 Mersey Novices' Hurdle - Regent's Stroll

He's smart but has been very keen since going over hurdles so is going to wear a hood on Saturday because he might get a bit revved with all the razzmataz at Aintree. Hopefully that will help chill him during the preliminaries.

While he was very good last time at Wincanton and will enjoy the drying ground this is a big step up to a Grade 1 and he needs to behave and not be silly. We are all up against it giving 10lbs to Lulamba but I have great faith in Regent's Stroll and I expect him to run well.

15:05 Liverpool Hurdle - Monmiral

He won the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham just over a year ago and has run some good solid races this season before a little knock ruled him out of the Grade 1 Stayers at this year's Cheltenham Festival at the last minute. He was fine a few days later and seems in good form though he would prefer softer ground than he is likely to find on Saturday.

17:00 Maghull Novices' Chase - Kalif du Berlais

He's very smart, only five and you can put a line through his below par run in the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown because he hated the testing ground that day. Had he run in the Arkle at Cheltenham I'm convinced he would not have been far away the way the race unfolded. But I chose to keep him fresh for Aintree, I couldn't be happier with him and the best is yet to come. He will love the ground and stepping back down to two miles on Saturday. He's nice and fresh now, bouncing at home.

17:35 National Hunt Flat Race - Swingin Safari

He is all right, won tidily at Wincanton on his debut for us and progressed to finish fourth in the Listed bumper at Ascot won by a highly rated horse of David Pipe's. He's improved since then and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he is again competitive in a race where we have done well in over the years. 

Timeform Verdict - Kalif du Berlais has untapped potential

17:00 Maghull Novices' Chase - Kalif du Berlais

Kalif du Berlais had made a bright start over fences by winning novice handicaps at Newbury and Cheltenham and he shouldn't be judged too harshly on his effort in the Scilly Isles at Sandown. He was last of the four, beaten nearly 20 lengths, but he shaped better than that result would suggest for most of the way before a lack of stamina seemed to tell on his first start at two and a half miles.

Kalif du Berlais has something to find on ratings with Only By Night and L'Eau du Sud, who were runner-up and fourth respectively in the Arkle at Cheltenham last time, but he has freshness on his side and still some untapped potential at two miles, so is respected. Only By Night gets the nod from Timeform's analys.

Now read Kevin Blake's 1-2-3-4 on the Aintree Grand National