Grey Dawning kicks off what could prove to be a crucial three days at Aintree for title-chasing Dan Skelton in the the Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase on Thursday.

Following a fantastic four-timer at last month’s Cheltenham Festival, the Alcester handler heads former mentor Paul Nicholls by around £30,000 in the race to be crowned leading trainer, while perennial Irish champion Willie Mullins cannot be discounted despite being just over £685,000 further adrift.

Skelton is well aware the next three days on Merseyside are likely to have a major bearing on where the championship ultimately ends up, but he is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground.

“There’s a lot of water to go under that bridge, but having good chances at this meeting with the prize-money on offer there is obviously very important,” he said.

Fantastic four

Grey Dawning was one of Skelton’s fab four at Cheltenham, reversing previous form with the Nicholls-trained Ginny’s Destiny to secure Grade One honours in the Turners Novices’ Chase.

The pair will renew rivalry in the opening race of the Randox Grand National Festival, with Skelton hopeful Grey Dawning’s Cheltenham exploits have not left their mark.

He added: “I’m looking forward to it a lot, obviously. He showed at Cheltenham two-and-a-half (miles) in this ground is no issue at all. I wanted to go three miles with him, but when the ground was like this, it was a pretty easy decision to make.

“He’s in good form at home. I’ve no reason to think that he’s not in the same form as he was at Cheltenham, but historically horses have tried to do the two and some have and some haven’t, I just hope he’s in the have category! I have no reason to think he’s not, I’m very happy with him.”

Who is destined to come out on top?

Nicholls is similarly positive about Ginny’s Destiny’s wellbeing and is looking forward to the rematch with Grey Dawning in a race worth £120,000 in total.

“He’s made giant strides since joining us this season, winning three times at Cheltenham before another cracking run when second to Grey Dawning at the Festival,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“He will love the ground at Aintree and is in good shape.

“As with all of ours who ran at Cheltenham, no one can tell you for sure how they have come out of their races but they have had a nice, easy fortnight before we started tuning them up again. They did their last piece of work on Saturday and head to Aintree fresh and well.”

Mullins also has a significant contender in the form of Il Etait Temps, who steps up in trip after placing third behind stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle at Cheltenham.

Jamie Snowden’s Turners Novices’ Chase sixth Colonel Harry and Tom Lacey’s Blow Your Wad, the only horse in the field not to run at the Festival, are the other hopefuls.