AINTREE will suit Edredon Bleu's attacking style of running and he can see off a high-class field to win the £120,000 Mumm Melling Chase, the highlight of tomorrow's second day of the Grand National meeting.
Henrietta Knight's charge has been a leading light at this level for some time but shows no sign of being on the decline.
He was impressive in his brutal success in the Peterborough Chase earlier this season, before blatantly failing to stay the trip when tried over three miles in the King George VI Chase.
His shrewd trainer would almost certainly have preferred to be running Edredon Bleu in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, the scene of arguably his greatest performance when he battled like a tiger to win last year.
But with the Festival now cancelled because of a nearby outbreak foot andmouth this race provides an equally acceptable target.
Do not be put off by the fact Edredon Bleu has not run since December.
He has always gone well fresh in the past and Knight will have him peaking at just the right time, as she always has done in the past.
What could be a better appetiser for the most famous race in the world than the John Hughes Trophy, run over one circuit of the National course.
In the past the race has thrown up plenty of surprises with jumping ability - naturally - at a premium.
However class can prevail this year with the race falling to The Outback Way, who can defy top-weight.
There are no question-marks over his jumping or his spirit, both of which have contributed greatly to his successes so far.
Since winning the Murphy's (now the Thomas Pink) Gold Cup in 1999, he haslargely been weighted out of competing at handicap company.
But after being competed at the highest level for a couple of years he has finally dropped back to a realistic handicap mark.
Trainer Venetia Williams has never been one for tilting at windmills and The Outback Way would not have been entered for this race unless connections felt they had a realistic chance of landing the spoils.
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