DOGGED by a lethal combination of horrendously wet weather and the tragic consequences of foot-and-mouth disease, National Hunt racing finally gets a much-needed shot in the arm as the curtain comes up on a truly star-studded three-day Grand National meeting.

Top-of-the-bill this afternoon is the £120,000 Martell Gold Cup, featuring the current holder, See More Business, putting his credentials on the line against six rivals of quite astonishing talent.

It's a race for purists to sit back and enjoy as the high-class French raider First Gold, plus northern hope Legal Right, try to wrestle the Cup from See More Business's grasp.

Let's not forget either Frantic Tan, finally justifying the confidence of connections by scooting home on his last two starts at Newbury and Haydock.

With the emphasis on speed as much as stamina around Liverpool's relatively quick track, I just favour First Gold (2.35) to take what promises to be a thrilling encounter.

Francois Doumen's eight-year-old disappointed when hot-favourite to win a valuable event at Newbury in February but he had previously pulverised a top-class field in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Martin Pipe has been farming races at Aintree for the past decade and he has a couple of big guns trained on the opening three-mile Handicap Hurdle.

A surplus of confirmed pacemakers make the race hard to fathom, Pipe supplying one in the shape of Deano's Beeno, who normally sets off like the proverbial scalded cat.

But so for that matter does Martin's other main hope, Manx Magic (2.00), a pillar-to-post winner at Wincanton six weeks ago. Given the featherweight he has been set to carry, I just err in favour of the latter, partnered by the massively underrated Roddy Greene.

A maximum field of 30 go to post for the Foxhunters' Chase run over the mighty National fences.

Twelve months ago Bells Life (3.45) took the contest for the Phillip Hobbs' yard. The gallant gelding, plagued by injury problems, has not been seen out since that famous victory, nevertheless his west country handler has the canny knack of getting his inmates razor sharp however long they have been absent from the fray.

Micky Hammond's Tysou (4.50) comes out top on my speed figures for the Barton And Guestier Novices' Hurdle.

"I've always thought he was on a par with my former Glenlivet Hurdle scorer Deep Water," said Micky. Praise indeed, because Deep Water bordered on Champion Hurdle standard.

The form book backs up Hammond's assertion on the evidence of the whopping 21lbs he conceded when soundly thrashing Conwy Castle at Musselburgh.

Those in with chances for the closing Chivas Regal Handicap Chase include Jolly Green Giant, bidding for a five-timer, Kingsmark, so impressive when bolting up in the Edward Hanmer Chase at Haydock before Christmas, Paperising, from the back-to-form Nicky Richards' yard, Nicky Henderson's unexposed Ad Hoc, and Gingembre (5.20).

Strictly on the assumption that there is no significant overnight rain and the going stays reasonably fast, the latter gets the nod on the strength that the majority of his opponents would prefer far more testing conditions.