RACING/Aintree Preview: Christy Roche will walk the Grand National course this morning to see if the big race "plunge" horse Youlneverwalkalone will be able to run in Saturday's feature.
The Curragh trainer flew to Liverpool last evening and reported Youlneverwalkalone and the Martell Hurdle hope Like-A-Butterfly in good shape ahead of the weekend.
However, Roche confirmed that neither will run if the ground is not suitable and there will be widespread interest in what he and JP McManus's racing manager Frank Berry decide the going is.
"We will look at it carefully and if it is safe ground he will run. Ideally I would like to see it on the slow side of good," Roche said yesterday.
He declared earlier in the week that if the forecast was correct Youlneverwalkalone, backed down to 9 to 1, was unlikely to start and the Met Office had no comfort for the Irish team yesterday.
"The forecast later in the week is for it to warm up, again with sunshine," said the clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch.
The going on the National course is officially "good to soft" and "good in places" but significantly Tulloch added: "If the wind continues with the bright sunshine we will consider watering if needs be."
If Youlneverwalkalone doesn't run then Ireland's main National hope will probably be Monty's Pass who will be ridden by Barry Geraghty.
Cheltenham's top jockey is on the likely favourite Valley Henry in the opening day feature, the Martell Cup, but there are two Irish-trained challengers to the Gold Cup fourth.
Commanche Court and More Than A Stroll are included in a first day tally of 19 Irish-trained declared runners and hopes will be high that last year's total of four winners at the festival can at least be equalled.
Commanche Court was a disappointing sixth in the Gold Cup but probably had a less taxing time than Valley Henry in front of him. Nevertheless the Paul Nicholls team report that Geraghty's mount has bloomed since Cheltenham and both the track and the ground should be ideal.
Geraghty is on his Pertemps Hurdle-winner Inching Closer in the first but there are five Irish horses after the festival winner's scalp.
Yeoman's Point's first run since November was a disappointment in the Coral Cup but this time the blinkers are left off him.
The first outing for the big National fences comes in the Foxhunters where the top Irish hunter Sheltering tries to do better than his fourth last year.
The Edward O'Grady trained star faded to eighth at Cheltenham behind Kingscliff, two places behind the other Irish contender Spot Thedifference.
Both should be okay over the obstacles but it's hard to ignore Master Wood's distance success on good going at Wetherby last month.
Another five Irish go in the Grade Mersey Hurdle where the unexposed Friends Amigo gets a valuable 5lb from the high-class Coolnagorna.
The first two home in the Triumph Hurdle, Spectroscope and Well Chief, lock horns again in the juvenile contest but Ryders Storm could have a squeak in this at a price.
