GLINGERBURN is the big hope of the north at Aintree today as he aims to extend his unbeaten record over hurdles.

Trained in Cumbria by Nicky Richards and the mount of veteran northern jockey Brian Harding, Glingerburn missed the whole of last season, but has bounced back with a vengeance this term. He has rattled up four successive victories, stepping up each time and hitting the target in Grade 2 company at Kelso last time out when beating Hawk High, a Cheltenham Festival winner last year.

How much more there is to come from Glingerburn is anybody’s guess, but he is certainly worthy of his place in the Grade 2 E-Lites Top Novices’ Hurdle.

He will relish the good ground and the flat Aintree course and is napped to take all the beating in a race in which Malcolm Jefferson’s exciting Cyrus Darius is also in the line-up. Easy winner of both his races over hurdles, he faces a steep rise in class here, but there is no doubting the Norton gelding is a horse with a bright future.

The Grade 1 Melling Chase is today’s showpiece event and the vote goes to a horse who was unable to run at last month’s Cheltenham Festival because he was bitten on the lip by one of his Willie Mullins stable-mates.

Champagne Fever is now back in full health and, with Ruby Walsh in the saddle, this strong-galloping, bold jumping grey will ensure there are no hiding places in this two and a half miles event, which has £200,000 up for grabs.

Winner of Grade 2 races at Clonmel and Gowran this season, he looks sure to go well as he aims to follow in the hoofprints of Boston Bob, who won this race last year for Mullins and Walsh.

Some Buckle, who finished a creditable sixth in last month’s Imperial Cup at Sandown, is a tentative selection in the wide-open Alder Hey Handicap Hurdle, which opens the second-day card, while Saphir Du Rheu gets the nod in the Betfred Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

Paul Nicholls, his trainer, placed the gelding to finish a tremendous second to Cole Harden in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. Saphir Du Rheu is back to fences today and is one-from-three in chases to date.

He should be a big player.

Nicholls and his number one jockey Sam Twiston-Davies look likely to enjoy a most productive afternoon.

They can also win the Crabbie’s Topham Chase - run over the Grand National fences - with Ruben Cotter and also the Grade 1 Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle with Vyta Du Roc.

Ruben Cotter comes into today’s race a relatively fresh horse. He has had only one outing this season, but it was a winning one, at Kempton four weeks ago. He is the winner of two of his five starts over fences and makes plenty of appeal in this contest, provided he adapts to these unique obstacles.

Vyta Du Roc has already enjoyed a lucrative campaign. There could be more to come from him this afternoon.

Malcolm Jefferson will be double-handed in the Weatherbys Wealth Management Champion Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Double W’s has shaped well in all his four races and is perhaps unlucky not to have won more than one race, while Jurby looked good when getting off the mark on his debut at Newcastle early six weeks ago. Marginal preference is for Jurby, who is owned by Trevor Hemmings, who likes nothing better than winners at this, his local course.

On the Flat at Leicester, a note should be made of two Ryedale horses.

Julie Camacho’s Wilde Inspiration merits a second glance in the Kibworth Handicap with Connor Beasley on board, while Richard Fahey runs the unraced Gin In The Inn in the Knighton Maiden Stakes.

Aintree today: 1.40 Some Buckle, 2.15 Glingerburn (NAP), 2.50 Saphir Du Rheu, 3.25 Champagne Fever, 4.05 Ruben Cotter, 4.40 Vyta Du Roc, 5.15 Jurby.

Leicester today: 1.30 Wilde Inspiration, 2.05 Gin In The Inn, 2.40 Robin Hill, 3.15 Justice Good, 3.50 Mustard, 4.25 Imtiyaaz, 5.00 Artful Prince.

Today’s other meetings: Fontwell and Wolverhampton.