JONBON will face just three rivals as he aims to return to winning ways in the Melling Chase at Aintree, according to the declarations for Friday’s card, known as Ladies Day.

El Fabiolo renews his rivalry with Nicky Henderson’s charge, having been narrowly beaten by J.P. McManus’ star at Aintree as a novice hurdler, and more recently in the Celebration Chase. Willie Mullins’ charge is one of two declared for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, with Matata representing Nigel Twiston-Davies. Dan Skelton’s three-time Grade 1 winner Protektorat completes the line-up.

Mullins, Munir and Souede went close in last year’s Topham Chase with James du Berlais and will be hoping to go one better over the Grand National fences, as last year’s winner is an absentee. The same connections run Blue Lord, who will be partnered by Paul Townend, while the owners’ retained ridder J.J. Slevin gets the leg up on James du Berlais.

Mullins accounts for five of the 14 Irish horses declared in a field of 30. Nicky Henderson, who currently shares the record number of wins in the race with Peter Bowen, is double-handed with the 2023 runner-up and bottom-weight Excello.

Handstands returns

Ben Pauling’s exciting novice chaser Handstands returns in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase. A faller on chasing debut, he has maintained a perfect record over fences since, winning a Grade 1 and two Grade 2s.

Dancing City bids to bounce back for Willie Mullins, while the infamously expensive Caldwell Potter aims to build on his impressive win at the Cheltenham Festival. It marks a first start at Grade 1 level since the grey joined Paul Nicholls, having previously landed the Future Champions Novice Hurdle for Gordon Elliott.

Elliott has declared Stellar Story, another Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler, who was last seen chasing home Lecky Watson in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Elliott well-represented

The Co Meath trainer has a leading chance in the Trustatrader Top Novices' Hurdle his current leading novice hurdler, Romeo Coolio. An impressive winner at the Dublin Racing Festival, the KTDA Racing-owned bay went on to finish third to Kopek Des Bordes at Cheltenham.

The pair in front of him will not run in Aintree, where his rivals include Supreme fifth Salvator Mundi, Cheltenham third Diva Luna and Fergal O’Brien’s Grade 2 scorer Tripoli Flyer.

Fifteen have been declared for the other Grade 1 on the card, the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. The calibre of the field is demonstrated by the current market leaders – winning hurdle debutant Mister Meggit and listed winner Califet En Vol.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Jacob’s Ladder and Familiar Dreams, who both recorded back-to-back wins in a Grade 3 last time out, are set to step up to three miles. The David Cottin-trained Jet Blue and Willie Mullins-trained Argento Blue are among those hoping to put a disappointing Cheltenham effort behind them.