Kauto Star and Master Minded both received the green light to reappear at Aintree after delighting Paul Nicholls in gallops at the weekend.

Following an important work morning at Ditcheat featuring all the potential Aintree runners who had been in action at the Cheltenham Festival, Kauto Star heads for the £160,000 Totesport Bowl over 3m1f on Thursday's opening day with his trainer very upbeat about his chances despite his Gold Cup defeat at the hands of stablemate Denman.


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"Kauto worked really well with Andreas, who's likely to run in the Red Rum Handicap Chase rather than the Melling," Nicholls told the Racing Post. "I wanted to work Kauto with something sharp, and Clifford was very happy with him.

"I passed on the news to Clive and told him the more I look at the Totesport Bowl the more I think he'll run a fantastic race. There is no reason not to run him."

Master Minded will face a maximum 13 rivals in Friday's £200,000 Grade 1 John Smith's Melling Chase, including the likes of Hi Cloy, Voy Por Ustedes and Racing Post Plate winner Mister McGoldrick.

Nicholls said: "Heworked with Takeroc this morning and I couldn't be happier with either of them."

Nicholls is favouring a tilt at Inglis Drever in the Grade 2 John Smith's Great Float Social Club Liverpool Hurdle on Thursday with Coral Cup runner-up Kicks For Free.

He said: "Kicks For Free had a hard race at Cheltenham, but seems to have come out of it well.

"He's in several races, but I'm leaning towards the three-mile conditions event.

"He's already in no-man's land with his handicap mark, and it won't matter if he ends up going higher still as he's going chasing next season."