ALL the chat at the moment is rightly focused on Cheltenham, but there was a winner at the weekend that looks tailor-made for Aintree’s Grand National meeting, writes Page Fuller.

Jax Junior was very impressive in the two and a half mile Pendil Novices’ Chase, with a superior turn of foot making easy work of his rivals. Connections sounded keen after the event to take a crack at the Arkle next month, but regardless of his performance in that, I think we’ll see a far more effective animal in April.