IT’S Randox Grand National day today, and the market moves yesterday were interesting.

The Big Dog shortened, Enjoy D’Allen shortened, Vanillier shortened, but the biggest move of all was for Ain’t That A Shame, as the Rachael Blackmore factor kicked in. Willie in the bumper, Frankie in the Derby. It’s bigger than that. Rachael in the National.

Available at 12/1 and 14/1 on Friday morning, Ain’t That A Shame was clear favourite by yesterday afternoon, no better than 8/1, and he is now favourite to go off favourite.

He has a lot of the attributes that you look for too.

He was unlucky not to win the Munster National in October, and he ran a big race in the Paddy Power Chase over Christmas to finish a close-up fourth.

Then he went to Gowran Park last month and won a two and a half-mile beginners’ nicely from Macs Charm, who won a good handicap chase at Fairyhouse on Monday. And he is trained by Henry de Bromhead and will be ridden by Rachael Blackmore, who have previous in the National.

Many chances

It is the Grand National though, there are obviously many, many chances. Corach Rambler won the Ultima again and gets to race off his old mark of 146, not his new mark of 156, and Our Power won the Coral Gold Cup at Kempton last time and is 4lb well-in.

Uniquely, horses who win after the Grand National weights have been framed are not subject to a penalty.

Noble Yeats has to race off a handicap mark of 166, 19lb higher than the mark off which he won the race last year. But he won well last year, the first seven-year-old to win the race since 1940, and he is an even better horse this year.

He won the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December, and he stayed on strongly to take fourth place in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last time. He should appreciate the step back up to the extreme trip of the Grand National today.

Add Capodanno and Delta Work and Gaillard Du Mesnil and The Big Dog to your shortlist, and Fury Road at a bigger price. You can make the case for many.

Strongest case

The case for Longhouse Poet may be the strongest case though. Martin Brassil’s horse was a joy to watch in the race last year. His jumping over the big fences was assured and efficient and accurate, he was into a lovely racing and jumping rhythm from early for Darragh O’Keeffe, along the inside and saving ground.

He was just a little keener than ideal, he was just doing a little more than his rider wanted him to do, and that eventually took its toll. He was in the front rank over the second last fence, but he just faded from there.

It is probable that his astute trainer has been training him for today for the last 12 months. He won over hurdles at Limerick over Christmas, and he warmed up for this nicely by winning at Down Royal last month.

That should have brought him forward nicely, it could have brought him to concert pitch for today.

Longhouse Poet is a Thyestes Chase winner, like Numbersixvalverde, whom Martin Brassil trained to win the Grand National in 2006.

The Yeats gelding had the stamina for that gruelling Gowran Park contest last year and, a year older now, nine instead of eight, and racing off a handicap mark of 155, as he did in the Grand National last year, he could have the stamina and the grit that he will need in order to go close today.

Mersey Novices

Earlier in the day, Dark Raven could be the answer to the Grade 1 Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle.

Two for two in bumpers and a good winner of his maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, Willie Mullins’ horse was only beaten a neck by yesterday’s impressive Top Novices’ Hurdle winner Inthepocket for second place in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.

He didn’t run badly either in what is looking like a hot Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, when he just kept on to finish sixth behind Marine Nationale and Facile Vega, with Inthepocket just three lengths ahead of him in fourth.

Out of a half-sister to three-mile chase winner Ned Tanner, and by Malinas, the sire of stayers American and Mighty Thunder and Mister Malarky and Medinas, he could improve today for stepping up to two and a half miles, and he could be the one to put it up to Hermes Allen, who may need a greater test of stamina than that presented by a two-and-a-half-mile contest at Aintree.

Liverpool Hurdle

Finally, Sire Du Berlais was the first 11-year-old to win the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month since Crimson Embers prevailed in 1986, and he could become the first 11-year-old to win the Liverpool Hurdle today since Deano’s Beeno won it in 2003.

Gordon Elliott’s horse was teak-tough at Cheltenham. He was a little short of room over the second last flight on the inside and into the home straight, but he stayed on strongly on the far side to get up and beat Dashel Drasher and Teahupoo by almost a length.

He had to have had a hard race there, but he is a battle-hardened performer, and he proved at Cheltenham that he retained his talent and his appetite and his enthusiasm for racing.

He won this race last year as a 10-year-old, he battled on well to get the better of Flooring Porter, and the pair of them pulled miles clear of their rivals, so we know that he can operate at the track, and that was after he had finished down the field in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham.

He comes into the race this year in much better form, and he has had an extra week this year to recover from his Cheltenham exertions. It is a obviously competitive race, he looks over-priced at 11/2.

Recommended:

Dark Raven, 3.00 Aintree, 4/1 (generally), 1pt win,

Sire Du Berlais, 3.35 Aintree, 11/2 (generally), 1pt win,

Longhouse Poet, 5.15 Aintree, 18/1 (generally), 1pt each-way