Saturday's Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster (3.25) looks a good trial for the Grand National trial with both Possol and Iris De Balme using the race as a stepping stone to Aintree.

Possol's trainer Henry Daly has been chopping and changing his plans in recent weeks, mainly due to the weather, but the National has been on the agenda since last summer and he has been careful to preserve the seven-year-olds chase handicap mark by running him over hurdles this season. Still a novice in that sphere, Possol has won both his starts at Ascot and here in December, when he was particularly impressive in beating Truckers Tavern (a good winner since), and is clearly in good heart on his return to fences.

That said, neither of those races were particularly competitive and didn't require him to run anywhere near his current chase mark of 151, which is a career-high and 8lb higher than when chasing home Nacarat in last season's Racing Post Chase. Throw in the fact he's using this race as a prep for the National and is therefore unlikely to be fully wound-up, it's debatable whether he's capable of giving weight away to all bar one of his 14 rivals and, while he deserves to be favourite, I'm going to swerve him at 11/2 (Paddy Power).

Iris De Balme's big moment over fences (to date) came in April 2008 when winning the Scottish Grand National from well out of the handicap and he proved that was no fluke when finishing well to claim fourth in the bet365 Gold Cup just a week later. Unfortunately for connections, he picked up an injury shortly after and didn't reappear until last month when finishing fifth in a decent hurdle race at Wetherby. That was a pleasing effort and he will appreciate this longer trip and better ground although, like Possol, his target is the National and I'll be surprised if he's straight enough to win what is a competitive race. Even at 10/1 (Betfred), I'm not tempted.

There are no such worries with WOGAN, who is not National-bound and is arguably in the form of his life after winning two of his last three starts, including a novice handicap chase by six lengths here last time out. The handicapper raised him 9lb for that success which is fair considering the first two had the race between them from a long way out, and the placed horses, Presenting Express and Stagecoach, had been in decent form beforehand. Certainly, he looks nicely-weighted here with just 10st2lb to carry, and being by the sire Presenting, he will appreciate the drying ground. The 13/2 with William Hill is standout.

The rest are a combination of out-of-form horses and plodders so I won't spend much time discussing their chances, although Cloudy Lane deserves a mention as he is 1lb lower than when winning this race two years ago and will appreciate the return to fences after running fourth in a Grade 2 hurdle last time. He has each-way potential at 12/1 with Ladbrokes.

Recommended Bet:

Wogan 2pts @ 13/2 William Hill