Saturday tips: Dave Nevison's Grand National 1-2-3-4 and more

Jonjo & A J O'Neill remain in good form after an excellent Cheltenham Festival, but a string of second places from their runners recently must be very frustrating. 

Kaka’s Cousin is one of three quite obvious fancies I narrowed this race down to, and is available at much bigger odds than the other two, so I am happy to side with him each-way in this big-field handicap. 

He has won a couple of fairly decent northern novice events, and performed creditably in the European Breeders' Fund Betfair "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown on his only previous handicap start.

He has only been raised 2lb for that good effort, and could easily improve for this step up in distance to three miles. 

A few of us had high hopes for this gelding this season, but it hasn’t really happened in three runs so far. 

Mr Hope Street ran a promising first race over fences at Carlisle, and while not disgraced on two subsequent runs, he hasn’t progressed in the way I might have anticipated.

I have been a little surprised that Dan Skelton has waited until now before stepping him up to three miles over fences, as it definitely looks his trip as he scored over this distance over hurdles. 

He has been dropped a pound since his last run, and if my conviction is correct (that he will improve over this distance) then he could be nicely treated indeed.

I have said many times on Racing TV this season that I am strong on I Am Maximus for the Randox Grand National again, and see no reason to change. 

I placed a bet on him at 12-1 just before I went away for the winter, and perhaps surprisingly (based on my recent ante-post form!) he looks like getting to the race in full fitness.

Townend was confirmed to ride earlier this week so, barring a late move for one, he will go off favourite, and deservedly so given he has won, and and been runner-up, in the past two renewals. 

He definitely didn’t get the rub of the green last year, and while I am pretty convinced his jockey will go a brave route on the inside, hopefully I Am Maximus will stay out of trouble. 

Grangeclare West might have challenged the winner last year but for a mistake at the last, and is another who will go close, while Iroko has been a massive talking horse for this race for the past two seasons. The chat will have only increased after his quiet run at the Cheltenham Festival when last seen. 

Three Card Brag jumped these fences brilliantly and helped to set the pace for a long way last year. If he can be restrained slightly this time, he could hold on for a place at chunky odds.