Irish trainer Gordon Elliott ended the Cheltenham Festival as the leading trainer this year as he had six winners during the four days.

Champagne Classic’s victory in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle put him back at the top of standings, where he edged out Willie Mullins on countback due to having more seconds than his fellow Irish compatriot.

Elliott will be aiming for more success at the Grand National meeting this week, particularly in the most famous steeplechase anywhere in the world. The trainer famously won the contest in 2007 with Silver Birch, as you can read about in this blog detailing some of the biggest surprises the race has offered over the past couple of decades.

At Monday's declaration stage, Elliott had four horses in the top 42 remaining in the race and all are likely to get a run. His top four challengers are Cause Of Causes, Ucello Conti, Bless The Wings and Roi Des France, and you can check their latest odds here.

Roi Des Francs joined Elliott's yard back in October and has been running in top-class company all season. He was able to pick up his first win for his Irish trainer last month when he was successful at Down Royal over the trip of three miles and two furlongs on yielding-to-soft ground.

This will be Roi Des Francs’ first attempt at the Grand National. He did run at the meeting in 2016; however, that was in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, where he finished sixth behind Native River.

A good jumper, Roi Des Francs has never fallen in his 11 starts but, like for many of the other 39 horses in the race, the doubt concerns his stamina at the marathon distance.

If 100/1 shot Bless The Wings does gain one of the 40 places in the National, he is one of the horses with less to prove in the stamina department as he run with credit in the Irish National, the La Touche Cup and the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham last month when he was second to stable companion Cause Of Causes.

Although he was no match for the winner, the 12-year-old was staying on well at the end of the contest, holding off the challenge of Cantlow, who had to settle for third.

Bless The Wings missed Aintree last season but instead ran in the Irish equivalent, where he and champion jockey Ruby Walsh were denied victory by just a short-head as they lost a photo finish with Roque Angel.

Elliott will also saddle Cause Of Causes and Ucello Conti, who both have excellent chances at the Merseyside track, as he looks for his second victory in the race.