CONDITIONS are going to be testing at Aintree today, and that should suit Nassalam well.

Nassalam’s best runs have all been on soft ground.

Conditions were testing when he won a novices’ handicap chase at Ascot two years ago, as they were when he won another one at Fontwell the following February, and when he finished third behind Midnight River and Stolen Silver in a good handicap chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

That was probably the best performance of his career to date, and the form has worked out well in the meantime.

Midnight River won another strong handicap chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting two runs later, and he ran well for a long way in the Charlie Hall Chase last Saturday. He could be a real live contender for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in two weeks’ time.

Stolen Silver was impressive in winning a handicap chase at Chepstow on his debut this season, and is now rated 7lb higher than he was on New Year’s Day. Midnight River is now rated 11lb higher.

Nassalam gets to race today off his New Year’s Day mark of 142. He could be a well-handicapped horse on that mark.

As well as that, Gary Moore’s horse is probably competing today under close to optimal conditions: two and a half miles, soft ground, left-handed.

When he won that novices’ handicap chase at Ascot in October two years ago, he did so despite jumping to his left. When he went back to Ascot in October last year, he raced as if he would appreciate a return to a left-handed track, and a step up in trip, and a move to easier ground.

He got all of that for the first time after that on New Year’s Day, when he put up that career-best performance.

Step up in trip

He shaped at Cheltenham that day as if he might appreciate another step up in trip, but he never really got into the race in a red-hot Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March and, tried over an extended three miles again in the race that Midnight River won at Aintree, he just didn’t get home.

This is his first run since, but he can go well fresh. He has won twice out of three seasonal debuts since he has joined Gary Moore.

He has never run over the Grand National fences before, but that shouldn’t be that big a negative, especially in a relatively small field and on soft ground. He isn’t a bad jumper and, if he can get into his racing rhythm early, he could run a big race.

Gesskille is the logical favourite, his record over the Grand National fences reads 229, he goes well over them, and he is only 5lb higher in the handicap than he was when he went down by a nose to Al Dancer in this race last year.

Born By The Sea is a player too, he ran a massive race in the Grand National last April and, a Galway Blazers winner, Paul Gilligan’s horse could be more at home over this shorter trip, especially on the testing ground.

Badger Beer

Frodon was brilliant in winning the Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton last season. He and Bryony Frost were dynamite again, they kept on going to see off Lord Accord, the first two clear.

You wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they repeated the trick today, off the same handicap rating.

But Frodon is 11 now, and there is a chance that the concession of 11lb to his stable companion Threeunderthrufive, three years his junior, may be beyond him.

The Shantou gelding didn’t win last season, but he wasn’t far below the very best staying novice chasers two seasons ago, when he was a dual Grade 2 winner, and he ran a big race to finish fourth in the Scottish National on his final run last season.

He gets to compete today off his Scottish National handicap rating of 147.

That is 5lb lower than his peak, and he retains the potential to go higher than that this season. He goes well on soft ground, he stays well and, coming from the Paul Nicholls yard, you know that he will be primed for today.

Nassalam, 2.45 Aintree, 7/1 (generally), 1 point win

Threeunderthrufive, 2.25 Wincanton, 10/3 (generally), 1 point win