Gordon Elliott has set aside any doubts that Tiger Roll will not be heading to Aintree in three weeks times, by confirming that his stable star has come home fit and well from his Cheltenham exploits, and is ready to roar in the National once again.
The 9yo - who stormed to a second near twenty-five length success in the Glenfarcas Chase at Prestbury Park last week will bid to become the first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since the great Red Rum did so back in the 70's.
After his fourth victory at the Festival, his owner Michael O'Leary had disclosed his own uncertainty about his star's participation on Merseyside.
However, the trainer's word has come to the fore, where Elliott conceded that the English Grand National on April 6 was very much the number one plan.
(Credit: Racing Post) Speaking at the launch of the Boylesports Irish Grand National, Elliott said: “He’s a horse of a lifetime. He's come out of Cheltenham very well and the plan is to go for the Aintree National.
"Obviously I'll have to discuss it with Eddie and Michael [O'Leary] but he's come out of Cheltenham very well so I can't see any reason why he won't be running there next.
“I spoke to the English handicapper yesterday and he said he put him up 8lb for winning the cross-country, and he might have been easy on him giving him that, as he could have put him up 10lb or more.
"But, because it was the cross-country race, he only put him up 8lb thankfully.
“That'd only leave him 1lb wrong on last year and it looks like he's a different horse this year than he was last year," Elliott finished.
The Irish Grand National is also a back-up option for Tiger Roll, but Elliott is hopeful of running as many as ten in the English and Irish spring features, including the likes of Dounikos, Out Sam and Gold Cup flop Shattered Love.
He said: “I haven't even had a chance to look at the weights yet to be honest. Look, we'll run plenty in it. We'll try and have 10 runners in the Irish and English Nationals.
“Out Sam, Dounikos and Shattered Love are three who could go for Fairyhouse rather than Aintree. Shattered Love came out of Cheltenham well and she could have a nice enough weight.”
Since Tiger Roll's success at Cheltenham, he has shortened into the 5/1 favourite with most firms, having been 11/1 before ten-past four last Wednesday.
Anibale Fly and Bristol De Mai have both been cut after their promising displays in the Magners Gold Cup.