Clan Des Obeaux, Kemboy declare for Aintree meet

Previous winners Clan Des Obeaux and Kemboy are among nine runners declared for the Betway Bowl at Aintree on Thursday. Kemboy was a brilliant winner of the Grade One contest in 2019 for Willie Mullins, beating the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux into second. The application of cheekpieces appeared to have the desired effect for Clan Des Obeaux in last year's renewal as he struck gold by a whopping 26 lengths, before going on to win the Punchestown Gold Cup. The 10-year-old has been beaten twice since and is interestingly fitted with blinkers for the first time for the defence his crown on Merseyside. Kemboy has not managed to get his head in front since claiming a fourth Grade One success in last year's Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, most recently finishing fifth when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Dublin Racing Festival feature in February. The one to beat on recent form is Dan Skelton's Protektorat, who was best of the British when third behind Henry de Bromhead's pair of A Plus Tard and Minella Indo in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup. Conflated, trained by Gordon Elliott, was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup and looked set to be placed in the Ryanair at Cheltenham before falling two from home. Colin Tizzard's Eldorado Allen finished third in the Ryanair and is another leading contender, as is Royale Pagaille after finishing fifth in the Gold Cup for Venetia Williams. Nigel Twiston-Davies will be praying for rain to give Bristol De Mai the best possible chance of claiming victory, while Ann Hamilton steps Nuts Well up in class after a Listed triumph at Kelso.

Olly Murphy's outsider Itchy Feet completes the line-up. Champion Hurdle second and third Epatante and Zanahiyr renew rivalry in the Betway