Hope for the British as Mullins expects to take small team to Aintree

British racing may be spared a repeat of the battering it endured last week when the big beasts of jump racing reconvene at Aintree for next month's Grand National meeting.

Willie Mullins, who led the Irish charge at the Cheltenham Festival with six winners and seven seconds, has indicated he expects to bring his usual, much smaller team to Aintree, although Allaho could be the star turn in the Melling Chase.

"Traditionally, I don't bring a big team to Aintree," Mullins said. "I'll have runners in the National, probably have a runner in the Topham, we'll enter Allaho in the two-and-a-half-mile race. But I think, timing-wise, Punchestown is a lot better than Aintree. So I wouldn't be looking at bringing a big team of novices. I don't think so at the moment, anyway."