Willie Mullins duo top Topham weights at Aintree

Ballycasey (11st 12lb) and Alelchi Inois (11st 9lb), who have both captured G2 chases this season, head the weights for the £120,000 G3 Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase (4.05pm) at Aintree on Ladies Day, Friday, April 7.

 They are trained by Ireland's champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins, who saddled Its Time For A Win to victory in the two mile, five furlong handicap chase over the Grand National fences in 2002. 

 The seven Mullins' contenders in the Topham also feature valuable Leopardstown handicap chase runner-up The Crafty Butcher (10st 4lb) and G2 J T McNamara National Hunt Chase third Haymount (10st 13lb). 

Both Alelchi Inois and The Crafty Butcher remain in the feature race of the Randox Health Grand National Festival, the £1-million Randox Health Grand National on Saturday, April 8, though the latter is unlikely to get a place in the 40-strong line-up.

G3 Ultima Handicap Chase fifth Go Conquer (10st 1lb, Jonjo O'Neill) and Seefood (10st 1lb, Dr Richard Newland), second over the Grand National fences in December's Betfred Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, are the 10/1 joint-favourites.

O'Neill may also be represented by last year's winner Eastlake (16/1, 11st 4lb), while the Paul Nicholls-trained As De Mee (12/1, 10st 10lb) could also aim for a repeat success over the Grand National fences, having beaten Seefood in the Betfred Grand Sefton Handicap Chase earlier this season.  

A powerful squad from Britain's champion Jump trainer Nicholls, who is trying to win his 11th trainers' title, includes Bouvreuil (12/1, 10st 11lb) and Art Mauresque (33/1 11st 5lb), who were third and eighth respectively in the G3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, recent Newbury winner Warriors Tale (12/1, 10st 9lb), and G2 Pendil Novices' Chase scorer Frodon (14/1, 11st 5lb). 

Nicky Henderson, currently in the lead for the trainers' championship, has O O Seven (20/1, 11st 4lb), Listed Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase second Gold Present (14/1, 10st 8lb) and Randox Health Grand National entry Cocktails At Dawn (33/1, 10st 6lb) to choose from.

 Other leading contenders among the 60 contenders going forward include Navan G2 Chase victor A Toi Phil (14/1, 11st 3lb, Gordon Elliott IRE) and Betfred Grand Sefton Handicap Chase third Henryville (14/1, Harry Fry, 10st 6lb). 

Philip Dempsey, who trains in County Kildare, Ireland, is looking forward to sending over Mr Diablo (10st 8lb). The eight-year-old was a cosy winner of a valuable Leopardstown handicap chase over an extended two miles and five furlongs on March 5 - his first appearance in almost five months. The eight-year-old's regular jockey is the trainer's son Luke Dempsey. 

A 33/1 chance, the son of Presenting showed a high level of form as a novice last season, coming home second behind future Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John in a beginners' chase and filling the same spot in a novices' handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival. 

Dempsey said: "The plan is to come over to Aintree with Mr Diablo. It was a good performance to win off top-weight at Leopardstown and he schooled over the National-style fences at the Curragh last Friday, which went well. 

"We put a tongue-tie on him last time, although I am not sure how much of a difference it made. He has never had a wind issue and is a good horse on his day, but it certainly won't do any harm to put it on again. 

"He was second in a €100,000 chase at Punchestown last year, when he had some very good horses behind him including the Galway Plate winner Lord Scoundrel, but then he got a bad cut on a tendon when he ran at Roscommon. 

"He has won on all sorts of ground and he's a good moving horse. He has mixed it with some of the best around at times and you would like to dream that he could be a National horse one day."

The Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase

Grade 3 handicap chase, £120,000 Total Prize Fund. Friday, April 7, 2m 5f 19yds over the Grand National fences. For five-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after March 26, a winner of a chase 4lb; no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed March 21, entries revealed March 22 (61 entries, one since scratched), six-day confirmations April 1, final declarations 10am April 6. Maximum field 30 runners. 

HORSE                   Age Wgt Owner Trainer

BALLYCASEY (IRE) 10 11-12 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE

ALELCHI INOIS (FR) 9 11-09 L McMahon/Mrs F Murphy/F Mangan Willie Mullins IRE

IRISH CAVALIER (IRE) 8 11-08 A McIver Rebecca Curtis  

FRODON (FR) 5 11-05 P J Vogt & Ian Fogg Paul Nicholls  

ART MAURESQUE (FR) 7 11-05 Mrs Johnny de la Hey Paul Nicholls  

EASTLAKE (IRE) 11 11-04 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill  

O O SEVEN (IRE) 7 11-04 Triermore Stud Nicky Henderson  

CLARCAM (FR) 7 11-04 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

A TOI PHIL (FR) 7 11-03 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

THIRD INTENTION (IRE) 10 11-02 Robert and Sarah Tizzard Colin Tizzard  

HAYMOUNT (IRE) 8 10-13 Mrs C M Hurley Willie Mullins IRE

THE PAPARRAZI KID (IRE) 10 10-13 Byerley Racing Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

STELLAR NOTION (IRE) 9 10-12 Roger Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead IRE

QUITE BY CHANCE 8 10-11 T Hamlin, J M Dare, J W Snook, J T Warner Colin Tizzard  

BOUVREUIL (FR) 6 10-11 J P McManus Paul Nicholls  

AS DE MEE (FR) 7 10-10 The Stewart Family & Judi Dench Paul Nicholls  

WARRIORS TALE 8 10-09 Michelle And Dan Macdonald Paul Nicholls  

BRIGHT NEW DAWN (IRE) 10 10-09 Boultbee Brooks Ltd Venetia Williams  

GAS LINE BOY (IRE) 11 10-09 The Three Graces Ian Williams  

GOLD PRESENT (IRE) 7 10-08 John & Barbara Cotton Nicky Henderson  

MR DIABLO (IRE) 8 10-08 Aidan Glynn Philip Dempsey IRE

BLAZER (FR) 6 10-08 J P McManus Willie Mullins IRE

SEVENTH SKY (GER) 10 10-07 Fidelma Toole Charlie Mann  

THOMAS BROWN 8 10-06 The Corse Lawners Harry Fry  

COCKTAILS AT DAWN 9 10-06 R J H Geffen & Sir John Ritblat Nicky Henderson  

HOME FARM (IRE) 10 10-06 Chris Jones Andrew Lynch IRE

KNOCK HOUSE (IRE) 8 10-06 Tim Leslie Donald McCain  

BALLYKAN 7 10-06 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies  

HENRYVILLE 9 10-06 R P B Michaelson & E M Thornton Harry Fry  

O MAONLAI (IRE) 9 10-06 Colin Perry Tom George  

STRAIDNAHANNA (IRE) 8 10-05 M B Scholey & R H Scholey Sue Smith  

SAMBREMONT (FR) 7 10-05 Shanakiel Racing Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

RUBEN COTTER (IRE) 11 10-05 Sean Conway Mark McNiff  

VIVA STEVE (IRE) 9 10-04 Paul & Clare Rooney Fergal O'Brien  

THE CRAFTY BUTCHER (IRE) 10 10-04 P Byrne/P W Mullins/D Ryan/I Madigan Willie Mullins IRE

THOMAS CRAPPER 10 10-03 Apisukcom Robin Dickin  

ULTRAGOLD (FR) 9 10-02 Brocade Racing J P Romans Terry Warner Colin Tizzard  

VINTAGE VINNIE (IRE) 8 10-02 Trembath, Hyde, Outhart & Hill Rebecca Curtis  

AACHEN 13 10-01 Tony Bloom Venetia Williams  

GO CONQUER (IRE) 8 10-01 Paul & Clare Rooney Jonjo O'Neill  

SEEFOOD (IRE) 10 10-01 C E Stedmand & J A Provan Dr Richard Newland  

SIR NOTE (FR) 7 9-13 G F Chesneaux James Eustace  

SOLAR IMPULSE (FR) 7 9-13 Andy Bell & Fergus Lyons Christopher Kellett  

VIC DE TOUZAINE (FR) 8 9-12 A Brooks & G Moore Venetia Williams  

KATNAP (FR) 10 9-11 Mrs F Murphy/Mrs A McManus/Mrs T Grant Joseph O'Brien IRE

KATACHENKO (IRE) 8 9-11 Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain  

IMJOEKING (IRE) 10 9-11 K Alexander Lucinda Russell  

DEFINITE RUBY (IRE) 9 9-10 James W Power Gordon Elliott IRE

GOWANAUTHAT (IRE) 9 9-10 Mrs J M Mayo Charlie Mann  

FATHER EDWARD (IRE) 8 9-10 Fergus Wilson David Pipe  

HEIST (IRE) 7 9-10 M Deren Patrick Griffin IRE

GONE TOO FAR 9 9-09 Fergus Wilson David Pipe  

LONG LUNCH 8 9-09 Battersby, Birchall, Halsall & Vestey Charlie Longsdon  

FORT WORTH (IRE) 8 9-08 Sleeping Panther Racing Jonjo O'Neill  

PORTRAIT KING (IRE) 12 9-04 James Beaumont & Douglas Pryde Patrick Griffin IRE

MORNING REGGIE 8 9-03 Tim Syder Oliver Sherwood  

TIQUER (FR) 9 9-03 Burnham P & D Ltd Alan Jones  

CODY WYOMING 11 8-11 Charlie Mann Racing Club I Charlie Mann  

THOMOND (IRE) 9 8-11 Patricia Hunt Noel Meade IRE

PECKHAMECHO (IRE) 11 8-08 G Thompson Sophie Leech