Grand National favourite Cloth Cap in ‘grand form’ for prep run at Kelso on Saturday

GRAND National favourite Cloth Cap is in ‘grand form’ ahead of his return to action at Kelso.

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill will be hoping his stable star can cement his position at the head of the betting for the Aintree showpiece in Saturday’s Premier Chase.

The nine-year-old is 12-1 with Betway for the historic marathon following the withdrawal of defending champ Tiger Roll earlier this week.

He has been off the track since his emphatic win in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in November.

O’Neill, who trained Don’t Push It to win the National in 2010, has deliberately kept Cloth Cap fresh for a spring campaign.

And the legendary trainer reckons the horse will love drying ground conditions in the £45k contest in the Scottish Borders.

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O’Neill said: “He’s in grand form and it looks like the ground is drying out for him.

“He’s not chucked in the race – he’s not well-in at the weights. We’re going there for the ground more than anything else.

“He has his little issues, but he’s fine at the minute and everything is going according to plan.”

Tom Scudamore steered Cloth Cap to his career-best success at Newbury last year, and he takes the ride again with a view to keeping it at Aintree.

O’Neill added: “I hope Tom can keep the ride in the National, as long as everything goes according to plan.

“I don’t want to ride him, anyway. I don’t think I’d do the weight, so Tom won’t have a lot of competition!

“We’ve only got one plan in mind, which we’ve had for the last two years.”

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