Jonjo O'Neill rates his leading Crabbie's Grand National contender Burton Port as the "right horse for the job" as the former two-time champion jockey looks to follow up his sensational performance at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Jackdaws Castle trainer is aiming to capture the Aintree prize for the second time as a trainer, after winning it with Don't Push It in 2010, buoyed by his three winners at jumps racing's showpiece meeting last month.
O'Neill said Burton Port was peaking at just the right time and he hoped that the 20-1 chance, who was fourth in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup, could make his class tell under his big-race jockey Brian Harding on Saturday.
His optimism increased after Burton Port, whose owner Trevor Hemmings has won the Grand National twice with Hedgehunter (2005) and Ballabriggs (2011), finished second at Newbury last time out.
"Earlier in the season Burton Port was very disappointing and we thought that maybe we weren't getting his enthusiasm back together, but since Christmas he's started to perk up a lot in his work and he's coming to hand much quicker," said O'Neill.
"In his last run at Newbury, he jumped really well and raced up there with the pace. He came out of the race well and we couldn't be happier with him.
"He's done nothing but improve so we're bang on target and we think we have him in great form.
"He was fourth in the Gold Cup and second in the Hennessy, and his owner Trevor Hemmings has been lucky around there so hopefully it continues.
"I think he has a lot going for him. He's a good jumper and he stays really well and he's got a bit of class, so he's the right horse for the job really. He goes there with a live chance.
"Brian rode Simply Gifted for us when he finished third in 2005. He's a lovely horseman with a lot of experience, which you need around there.
"There are a good few horses in the race with a touch of class, like Long Run, Tidal Bay and Teaforthree, to name just three, and it's a very good race now."
O'Neill has four other entries in the race but only two – outsiders Twirling Magnet and Lost Glory – are likely to make the cut when the field is reduced to 40 runners. Before O'Neill bids to win the Grand National, he is hoping More Of That can retain his unbeaten record in the Silver Cross Stayers' Hurdle over three miles on the same card.
His stable star is officially rated the best hurdler in Britain after winning for the fifth time in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle under AP McCoy at the Festival.
O'Neill said: "He was bit tired for a couple of days after the race, like all the Cheltenham runners were because you don't have easy races there, but he's in great form at the minute and I'm looking forward to running him."
