State playing a waiting game

Evan Williams, trainer of State Of Play, fourth in last year's John Smith's Grand National, is a man of infinite patience, a virtue that might well be rewarded come April 10th at Aintree, writes Elliot Slater.

It often requires a horse with a touch of class to have what it takes to win a Grand National, and Williams' lightly raced 10-year-old still appears to have a number of good races left in him. With this in mind, he might be worth considering when placing your Grand National Free Bet(http://betting.ladbrokes.com/en/grand-national-free-bet).

The winner of the 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury has only had ten subsequent races and this term has only been since once, when pulling up having looked in need of the outing in Denman's Hennessy romp in November.

Ever since State of Play ran so well at Aintree last year Evans has planned specifically for the Grand National and for nothing else. A couple of mistakes on the second circuit knocked State of Play out of his stride, but he gamely came right back into the reckoning at the second last, only to find the front three getting away from home on the run from the last.

But for those two errors it is arguable that State Of Play might have gone very close indeed to winning the greatest race of all, and given a fair racing weight and a slightly better round of jumping there are good reasons for believing the Vale of Glamorgan based gelding could have a big chance in this year's renewal.

A flat galloping left-handed track such as the National course at Aintree is ideally suited to State Of Play's style of running, and coming to the race after a good break is exactly the same tactic as was successfully employed when he won the Hennessy on his seasonal bow.

With regular partner Paul Moloney likely to be in the saddle once again, the pairing look set to give supporters a very big run for their money when it comes to Aintree Grand National betting.

Buckler in the Market for more National success

Bob Buckler enjoyed his finest hour when training Niche Market to a famous success in last year's Irish Grand National, and the Somerset-based handler is hoping for more big race glory when his stable star heads to the Aintree Grand National in April, writes Elliot Slater.

Niche Market, a thorough stayer, had run well in the National Hunt Chase over four miles at the Cheltenham Festival before hitting the headlines with his shock 33/1 success at Fairyhouse under Harry Skelton. Following a pipe-opener at Wincanton on his seasonal return the Presenting gelding ran an absolute cracker to finish third to the mighty Denman in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November. He then failed to handle the very heavy ground on a return visit to the track a month later.

There is no doubt that Niche Market is a horse who is at his best on a decent surface. With such conditions normally prevailing at Aintree there are plenty of reasons for optimism from the Buckler camp. Time and again both trainer and jockey have said their horse has no gears to speak of, but is simply a genuine out and out galloper - just the type that is ideally suited by the flat, galloping Aintree circuit.

As an Irish National winner Niche Market would not be winning out of turn subsequently at Aintree. In the last 22 years three winners of the Fairyhouse marathon have gone on to win at Aintree - Rhyme 'n Reason (1988), Bobbyjo (1999), and most recently Numbersixvalaverde (2006).

The Grand National betting odds make the horse a 20/1 shot before the publication of the weights for the race and Niche Market appears to have ticks in most of the right boxes for those looking for a potential winner.

King's stayers heading straight to Cheltenham

Having enjoyed mixed fortunes with his two World Hurdle candidates last weekend trainer Alan King has confirmed that both Karabak and Katchit will not be seen again on a racecourse until the big day itself, writes Elliot Slater.

Cheltenham's Bishops Cleeve Hurdle was due to be the final preparatory race for the King duo, but while Katchit took his chance and ran well to be a brave third, Karabak was forced to miss the race after failing to please his handler prior to the off.

Karabak, currently 6/1 second favourite for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle behind odds-on Big Bucks, was last seen in action when going under by three-and-a-half lengths in the Long Walk Hurdle. The plan was to get another run into him before the Cheltenham Festival, but King has now decided that his World Hurdle first string will manage just as well without another outing.

However, Karabak seems to prefer going on the softer side of good, so the ground on the day could have a significant impact on his National Hunt steeple chase odds.

Katchit, who has failed to score since his famous success in the 2008 Champion Hurdle where he outstayed Osana by a length, proved to connections that the will to win is still there with his gutsy effort at Prestbury Park last time. No less pleasing was the way in which the seven-year-old Kalanisi gelding dealt with the Cheltenham hill on his first attempt at three miles. This suggests that what he may have lost in speed over the last couple of seasons he has gained in stamina.

King knows what it takes to win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle having sent out My Way de Solzen to land the 2006 renewal. Blazing Bailey also performed creditably on a number of occasions in the race, including when third to the great Inglis Drever in 2007.

Whatever happens, the Ladbrokes World Hurdle should be the highlight of fantastic day of Cheltenham Festival horse racing.

Simcock's star is in the ascendant