The first race of the 2023 Aintree Grand National Festival is the Grade One Manifesto Novices' Chase over 2m4f and Banbridge looks the class act.
A very smart hurdler for Joseph O'Brien winning in January at Navan over two miles when beating Au Fleuron and then off a mark of 137 landed the 23 runner Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham festival in good style.
Sent chasing this term he made an emphatic seasonal debut at Gowran Park over 2m4f when winning by close to 9 lengths and dropped back in trip last time out at Cheltenham he jumped his opposition into the ground to take the Grade Two Arkle Trial at Cheltenham.
Going back up in trip in the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in December, the deluge of rain before the off hindered his chances but he still ran a cracker to finish third behind Mighty Potter and Gaillard Du Mesnil who have both franked the form since.
Seen just once more to date at the DRF when managing to stay on into second behind El Fabiolo who also franked the form in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Having missed the Cheltenham festival because of the soft ground he won't want the rain that could fall but even not on his favoured conditions he looks the one to beat for us.