Monet's Garden bids for back-to-back victories in the Grade Two intercasino.co.uk Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Sunday.

The popular Nicky Richards-trained grey saw off the mighty Kauto Star to land the spoils 12 months ago, having won the Grade One John Smith's Melling Chase over the course and distance the previous April.

Monet's Garden failed to fire in his last two starts in the spring but the David Yates-owned 10-year-old looked back to his old self in an exercise spin over hurdles after racing at Perth in September.

Richards said: "Monet's Garden is fine after his outing, the old lad's in good nick and we're looking forward to getting him back on the track at Aintree - he's in good form with himself. It'll be a very interesting race again and we're looking forward to it.

"He summered well. I think a lot of my horses weren't quite right in the spring and he was probably one of them, but hopefully it'll be all guns blazing again on Sunday with him.

"The one thing about him is he's got a great owner and we'll run him when he's ready to run. Hopefully, we'll have a lot of fun again this winter with him."

The two and a half-mile contest is the first race in the 2008/2009 Order of Merit.