Tidal Bay heading for Grand National according to trainer Howard Johnson

Tidal Bay, who came home a creditable sixth in the Gold Cup at the recent Cheltenham Festival, looks poised to take his chance in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 9.

Speaking to the Racing Post, trainer Howard Johnson said: ‘He has come out of Cheltenham grand and goes to Liverpool. He doesn’t over-exert himself and is bouncing and there is nothing else to go for. It was a bit lively for him at Cheltenham and if they had had a bit more rain he might have finished fourth.’

The 10-year-old who, it’s fair to say, has his quirks, has yet to race over such a stamina-sapping trip, but he has shaped as though a proper test may be right up his street this season. Indeed, he was doing all his best work at the business end of the 3m 2½f Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he was 23 lengths adrift of winner Long Run.

Although he has enigmatic tendencies, Tidal Bay is not short of ability. He was beaten just over a length by Neptune Collonges in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham on his penultimate start, and was a Grade 1 winner as a novice chaser at the Grand National meeting in 2008. He is, however, set to carry 11st 9lb on April 9; the gelding can be backed at 50-1 in places.

Gold Cup fourth What A Friend was recently confirmed for the National by Paul Nicholls, and it has also been confirmed that Daryl Jacob, who partnered the eight-year-old at the Festival, will keep the ride. What A Friend’s price has contracted notably since Nicholls confirmed the Aintree marathon as his target, with 14-1 the best price on offer at the time of writing.

The Willie Mullins-trained The Midnight Club is now as short as 8-1 with Coral to land the world’s most famous steeplechase, while 12.0 is available on the exchanges, Betfair and Betdaq.