04 April 2023 , 09:48
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Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame is heading to the Grand National meeting where he will contest the £250,000 Alder Hey Aintree Bowl.
He will lead champion trainer Paul Nicholls’s team at next week’s prestigious fixture provided he satisfies his handler between now and the race on April 13.
The King George VI Chase winner gave Nicholls his best finish in the Gold Cup for years when finishing second to Galopin Des Champs at the Cheltenham Festival.
He led at the second last fence and only gave best after the last when he was beaten by the very impressive Willie Mullins-trained winner.
Speaking to Betfair, Nicholls said: “Bravemansgame is on course for the Aintree Bowl on April 13. I am schooling 18 horses on Tuesday who are possibles for Aintree, including Stage Star, Hitman and Magic Saint - I could go on and on.
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"We will get them all schooled this week and then make our decisions on them all.”
The Bowl is shaping up to be a cracking contest with Gold Cup third Conflated, 2022 Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard, Shishkin and Ahoy Senor declared intended starters.
Paul Nicholls with Bravemansgame (AFP via Getty Images)The only chance of a rematch with Galopin Des Champs is if Bravemansgame ran in the Punchestown Gold Cup on April 26.
Nicholls added: "I am going to enter Bravemansgame at Punchestown as well, so we will have options. Anything is possible.
"Prior to the weekend at Newton Abbot and Plumpton, the only runner I will have is Oscar Moonshine at Wincanton on Wednesday. The big crescendo is obviously Aintree the week after."
Nicholls apologised for dismissing one of his runners at the weekend, Blueking D'Oroux who won at Ascot at odds of 50-1 after his trainer said he had "no chance".
"It just shows what a wind op can do for a horse," he said. "I apologise to everyone. It's just one of those things that happens. We can't get it right every time."