Snow Leopardess' jockey Aidan Coleman warmed up for the big race with a 28-1 winner at Aintree.
The rider was all smiles as Sam Brown stunned punters with his runaway success in the Grade 3 Betway Handicap Chase. Trained by Anthony Honeyball, the longshot stayed on powerfully over the 3m 1f trip to score by 15 lengths before the main Grand National race.
Pacesetter Wishing And Hoping was overtaken by Shan Blue up the straight, however the 5-2 favourite had no more to give as Sam Brown surged to the front. The race came just an hour before the Grand National, the big betting race of the day at Aintree. Coleman's mount Snow Leopardess bids to become the first mare to win after having a foal.
“People have been finding out how many mothers have run in the Grand National,” said the 10-year-old’s trainer Charlie Longsdon. “We think something might have done 100 years ago, but not in recent living memory.”
Earlier in the afternoon, jockey Mark Walsh, who rides another of the fancied National contenders Any Second now, raced to a double. He was in the winners' enclosure after the Grade 1 JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle, which was won by 16-1 shot Sire Du Berlais, while Gentleman De Me (7-2) took the Poundland Maghull Novices' Chase.
The latter shocked hot favourite Edwardstone with a bold front running performance.
Walsh told ITV Racing: “He's brilliant. He's a very forward-going horse. We tried to hold him up in his first few runs and it didn't work, so we just let him make the running and it suits him because he wings fences and he just loves to get on with it.”
Sire Du Berlais was recording his first success at the highest level, when defeating 11-8 favourite Flooring Porter by a length and three quarters. Sire Du Berlais is a dual Cheltenham Festival hero, having taken the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle in 2019 and 2020.
The victory of Sire Du Berlais meant that owner JP McManus had an unassailable lead in the ROA Leading Owner Award and he was presented with his trophy after the race.
Trainer Gordon Elliott said: “It didn’t work out for him in the Pertemps but it was great he’s won here and I’m absolutely delighted – he got into a lovely rhythm and he jumped great.
“We’ll see how he is in terms of what’s next. It was a bit of a surprise but that’s the game we’re in, we’ll take whatever we’ll get.”
Snow Leopardess is as short as 9-1 for the Grand National, which is scheduled for 5.15pm.
