Weekend crucial to Nicky Henderson Aintree plan

Nicky Henderson will wait until the weekend before deciding which of his big guns will run at next week's Grand National meeting at Aintree.

Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Altior, Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D'Air and Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite all have options on Merseyside, but Henderson is keen to assess their well-being over the next few days before committing any of them to a trip north.

He said: "They've all got a bit of work to do over the weekend and we've got to be very happy with that. That is going to finalise things.

"It's just quite hard to read them. They can seem fresh and well and make you feel very happy in yourself, but you never quite know how much those races have taken out of them. Nobody got an easy race at Cheltenham this year because of the ground.

"We're still monitoring, monitoring, monitoring the situation as we go."

Should Might Bite run again this season it will be in the Betway Bowl at Aintree on Thursday, while Buveur D'Air looks likely to defend his crown in the Aintree Hurdle on the same afternoon.

Altior could step up to two and a half miles for the first time in his career in the Melling Chase the following day, but also has the option of sidestepping the meeting and waiting for the Celebration Chase on the final day of the season at Sandown (April 28).

Henderson told At The Races: "We've been schooling this morning and Might Bite schooled and Altior schooled. Might Bite seems really well, actually.

"Altior has an option and I think that's the important thing. He has an option to go to Sandown, which gives him another two weeks, and that must be pretty possible.

"The Celebration Chase is a Grade One, he won it last year and the ground could dry out a bit more.

"He doesn't have to go there (Aintree), whereas with the others - Might Bite in particular - it's this or nowhere.

"Buveur D'Air is in the same situation. He wouldn't go to Punchestown, I wouldn't think, whatever happens."

The Seven Barrows handler confirmed We Have A Dream and On The Blind Side, both of whom missed Cheltenham through injury, are set to be part of the Aintree squad.

Terrefort, who finished runner-up in the JLT Novices' Chase in the Cotswolds, is set to step up to three miles in the Mildmay Novices' Chase on Friday week.