Minella Times giving Henry De Bromhead the right signals ahead of Aintree repeat bid

Henry de Bromhead believes Minella Times is "back on song" ahead of his bid for a repeat in the Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week.

The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old claimed a historic success 12 months ago as Rachael Blackmore became the first woman to ride the winner of the world's most famous steeplechase.

It capped a memorable few weeks for De Bromhead after completing the an unprecedented Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup treble at Cheltenham a few weeks earlier.

Having also saddled the runner-up at Aintree, Balko Des Flos, he unsurprisingly recalls the day fondly.

"We definitely did enjoy it. It was some achievement by Rachael and to be involved in it all was brilliant," said the Waterford trainer.

"To see our three runners going out on the second circuit was pretty incredible. We lost Chris's Dream (unseated four out), but to see Balko and Minella Times both there in the first four or five with three to jump was unreal.

"I thought Burrows Saint and Patrick Mullins were going better than any of ours at the time, but jumping the last it was some buzz.

"Ted Walsh's horse, Any Second Now, was staying on again, but halfway up the run-in I started to believe we could win it."

Twelve months on Minella Times will return to Merseyside with something to prove, having failed to complete in two subsequent outings.

The Oscar gelding fell on his seasonal reappearance in the John Durkan and was pulled up when last seen contesting a handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

De Bromhead added: "He fell in the Durkan, which was disappointing, and he came back a little bit stiff and sore. We got him right and thought we had him spot on for Leopardstown and again he was a bit disappointing.

"But we found a couple