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Many Clouds can win his National trial at Kelso

The Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup next week is a stellar renewal, but the absence of Grand National winner MANY CLOUDS does take a small section of the quality and appeal of the race away. His chief target this season is of course the Aintree showpiece next month and today’s 2.55pm at Kelso offers the perfect stepping stone toward that, without enduring a hard race at Cheltenham. Oliver Sherwood’s stable star faces a couple of quality chasers today and gives 4lbs all around, but he has the form to get the job done.

Sausalito Sunrise was in the conversation to take his chance in the Gold Cup next week and as a 163 rated chaser he would have been more than worthy of his place in the line-up. But connections have side-stepped that assignment for the eight-year-old and chosen this race, perhaps as a trial toward Aintree or Punchestown. He was a good winner at Ascot last time out, but before that was firmly put in his place by O’Faolain’s Boy, a horse who has gone off the boil since and would surely have been given a sterner test had Many Clouds run in the race.

Regardless of that collateral form speculation, MANY CLOUDS is a top class and a formidable horse when the ground is soft. He was a solid second to Smad Place at Cheltenham last time having served it up to that Gold Cup fancy for the majority of the race and before that he finished second to another big Gold Cup fancy in the form of Don Poli. This easily represents the best form on offer and we can expect a huge run.

MANY CLOUDS could set himself up here to go off the shortest price favourite in the National for years. For the first time in a long time, it appears as though the racing public has a genuine shot at witnessing a two-time winner in the race. He possesses a lethal blend of class and staying power which negates somewhat the issue with carrying additional weight and he just loves those fences, but the 2.55pm at Kelso is the next step toward that goal and he can give a good account of himself.

Recommended Bet

2.55 Kelso – Many Clouds – 4pts win