Chicago Grey will head straight for the John Smith’s Grand National after delighting connections in his final run before the Aintree spectacular.

SILVER BIRCH, winner of the 2007 John Smith’s Grand National, has been retired following his run at Aintree last week.

FOR a horse that fell on his first outing at Cheltenham, Garde Champetre has come a long way.

EACH of the last three winners of the John Smith’s Grand National have been entered for the 2010 renewal on April 10.

GORDON Elliott’s 2007 Grand National hero Silver Birch will make his first start of the season in a point-to-point at Lingstown on Sunday.

Jessies Dream gave the irresistible combination of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh another Festival winner with an impressive display in the AON Insurances Hurdle at Punchestown today.

Gordon Elliott reports Silver Birch to be “100%” and on course for the John Smith’s Grand National following a prep run over hurdles at Navan yesterday.

RUBY WALSH and Willie Mullins continued in irresistible form when sharing a treble at Navan yesterday, scoring with odds-on shots Lilywhitedancer and Barker and marker-drifter Palace Merano, which needed all of Walsh’s strength to land the Irish Stallion Farms Novice Hurdle.

Silver Birch was a major disappointment in the Slane Handicap Hurdle at Navan today - his first run under Rules since winning the 2007 Grand National.

GORDON ELLIOTT thinks there are worse each-way bets in the John Smith’s Grand National than his former winner Silver Birch after the weights were announced earlier this week.

2007 Grand National winner Silver Birch is set to run in a point-to-point at Nenagh on Saturday, at the start of a comeback which will see him back at Aintree in April.

Silver Birch, winner of the 2007 Grand National, could be back in action over the next fortnight after recovering from a leg injury.

Paul Nicholls accepts the handicapper has not made life easy for his two runners in Sunday’s totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree.

Grand National winner Silver Birch has been ruled out for the season by his trainer Gordon Elliott.

GORDON ELLIOTT, who enjoyed his biggest success when Silver Birch landed the Grand National at Aintree in April, was on the mark in the Grade 2 Killerk Construction Hurdle at Tipperary yesterday when Salford City proved a surprise 12-1 winner.

Gordon Elliott is hoping Silver Birch's Grand National win can kickstart his fledgling training career.

RICHARD JOHNSON remains mystified over Detroit City’s poor performance in the Champion Hurdle – but hopes to redress the balance at Aintree next month.

RICHARD JOHNSON remains mystified over Detroit City’s poor performance in the Champion Hurdle – but hopes to redress the balance at Aintree next month.

Ferdy Murphy is hoping Joes Edge makes the cut in the John Smith’s Grand National after getting up in the shadow of the post to win the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Willie Mullins unleashed another potential champion bumper contender as Fiveforthree bolted in by seven lengths at Punchestown to receive quotes of 12-1 for the Cheltenham contest from Ladbrokes and William Hill.

CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS sees last year’s winner Hedgehunter as the main threat to his mount Royal Auclair - one of seven Paul Nicholls runners - in the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday.

HEDGEHUNTER is a general 4-1 favourite with the English firms, although Irish bookmakers Cashmans and Paddy Power buck the trend with a 5-1 offer, to land back-to-back runnings of the John Smith’s Grand National after heading the list of 84 horses left in the Aintree spectacular at the five-day confirmation stage.

Last year’s John Smith’s Grand National hero Hedgehunter tops 84 horses left in Saturday’s Aintree feature at the five-day stage.

ANTE-POST favourite Clan Royal and Racing Post Chase hero Innox are among 122 contenders remaining after the first forfeit stage for the John Smith’s Grand National.

Paul Nicholls remains perplexed by the poor form shown by Silver Birch after his John Smith’s Grand National hope was pulled up for the second time in as many starts.

Silver Birch may run over hurdles at Chepstow on Saturday as he looks to get his John Smith’s Grand National credentials back in focus.

LAST YEAR’S winner Hedgehunter heads a healthy entry of 148 for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 8.

Paul Nicholls has a powerful 10-strong team entered in the John Smith’s Grand National as he continues his quest for his first trainers’ championship.

Silver Birch has emerged from his first run for 394 days with all guns blazing and will head to Wincanton next month ahead of the John Smith’s Grand National on April 8.

Leading John Smith’s Grand National candidates Clan Royal and Silver Birch are set to clash – weather permitting – over hurdles at Warwick tomorrow.

A record total of 92 horses are on 10st or above in the weights published today for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 9.

SILVER BIRCH jumped his way to Grand National favouritism after landing a massive gamble in the Coral-sponsored Welsh version at Chepstow yesterday.

Expect the Paul Nicholls-trained Silver Birch to run a huge race in the £100,000 (€142,100) Coral Welsh National tomorrow if the holiday card at Chepstow beats the freeze.

Last season’s Grand National hero Amberleigh House couldn’t make it a winning return to action at Aintree yesterday but trainer Ginger McCain was more than happy with his performance.

EDREDON BLEU, who dominated the Peterborough Chase for four years from 1998 to 2001, heads the entries for this year’s contest in the likely absence of stablemates Best Mate and Impek.