IT is the opening action of the Crabbie’s Grand National meeting at Aintree today and William Easterby, son of Great Habton trainer Tim, is set to make his debut over the famous Grand National fences.

Easterby, 20, currently blazing a trail in the Yorkshire Area point-to-point riders’ championship, teams up with Soleil d’Avril, trained by his mother Sarah, in the £40,000 Crabbie’s Foxhunters’ Chase.

A 25-1 winner at Catterick five weeks ago, Soleil d’Avril is expected to give Easterby a good spin over this formidable course, but he is likely to be one of the outsiders in a race in which Irish challenger On The Fringe, trained by Enda Bolger and the mount of Nina Carberry, looks the most likely winner after his success in the Cheltenham Foxhunters’.

Willie Mullins, who saddled a record eight winners at last month’s Cheltenham Festival, looks set to also enjoy a memorable three days on Merseyside, spearheaded by Arctic Fire in the Grade 1 Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle.

The six-year-old has produced a whole sequence of solid efforts in defeat this season, not least when chasing home his stablemate Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle last time.

He promises to be well suited by this step up to two and a half miles and is fancied to have the edge over Jezki and Rock On Ruby, two previous Champion Hurdle winners.

The £150,000 Betfred Bowl Chase is the other Grade 1 showpiece on the opening day, and Silviniaco Conti aims to repeat his success of last year.

Although Paul Nicholls’ charge could finish only seventh in the Cheltenham Gold Cup after starting favourite, he is worth another chance, largely because the best of his form has been when racing on flat courses.

Winner of the Betfair Chase and the King George VI Chase this season, he is preferred on this occasion to Holywell, who finished ahead of him in the Gold Cup, and who was a winner at this meeting last year.

Tony McCoy, rider of Holywell and also Jezki, has other winning chances on the card and can hit the target on nap selection Hargam in the Betfred Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and Ned Buntline in the Betfred Red Rum Handicap Chase.

Hargam was a respectable third to stable companion Peace And Co in the Triumph at Cheltenham, while Ned Buntline made a bold bid to provide McCoy with a winner on his final Cheltenham ride last month when finishing fourth in the concluding race of the Festival. He is fancied to step up this afternoon.

McCoy also has good claims aboard Unique de Cotte in the Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap Hurdle, but he may have to play a supporting role behind Call The Cops, who beat David Pipe’s runner into second place at Cheltenham last month.

At Southwell, North Yorkshire apprentice Shane Gray can continue his excellent run of success by winning on Rosenbaum in the Southwell Resident’s Evening 2nd June Handicap.

Gray, who is attached to Kevin Ryan’s Hambleton stable, has not only enjoyed recent success for his boss but also in the Godolphin colours for Charlie Appleby, trainer of Rosenbaum.

Gray was in the saddle when Rosenbaum won at Wolverhampton three weeks ago.

A follow up looks on the cards.

Middleham trainer Mark Johnston has been going well with his juveniles this season.

The latest one to make an appearance is Rainbow Rebel, who turns out in the British Stallion Studs Maiden Stakes.

He is worth noting.

Trust Me Boy (3.15), a previous course-and-distance winner, who looks to be coming to the boil, and Tarooq (5.00), who should have too much class for his rivals in the claimer, are two others to note at the Fibresand course.

Aintree today: 1.40 Josses Hill, 2.15 Hargam (NAP), 2.50 Silviniaco Conti, 3.25 Arctic Fire, 4.05 On The Fringe, 4.40 Ned Buntline, 5.15 Call The Cops.

Southwell today: 2.05 Rainbow Rebel, 2.40 Compton Mill, 3.15 Trust Me Boy, 3.50 Caged Lightning, 4.25 Rosenbaum, 5.00 Tarooq, 5.35 Pabusar.

Today's other meetings: Taunton and Chelmsford City.