Charlie Longsdon's staying mare Snow Leopardess could contest the Listed Virgin Bet Mares' Chase at Exeter on Sunday in a bid to secure the right rating for an Aintree Grand National spot.
The mare won a sturdy renewal of the Becher Chase at Aintree in December, prevailing gamely by a nose from Hill Sixteen after a three-and-a-quarter-mile run over the Grand National course.
Snow Leopardess' rating was increased to 147 after that performance, a mark that was fine for the Grand National in April, but collateral form then caused the handicapper to later adjust the figure to 145.
The cutoff point in last year's National was 145, potentially leaving Longsdon's entrant on a knife-edge ahead of the official weights announcement next week.
Longsdon had previously mulled over a run over hurdles to protect Snow Leopardess' rating of 147, but now she has been dropped by two pounds, he is looking for a chase booster at Exeter at the weekend to squeeze into the National.
"The plan is, if there's enough rain, that she'll go to the mares' chase at Exeter on Sunday," said Longsdon.
"I've spoken to the handicapper, who thinks that we might just get into the National off a mark of 145, but we might not, so that's why he's encouraging us to run again.
"Bottom weight was 145 last year and he'll know more than us. We'll look at it later in the week and we don't want to mess about with her mark if we think we'll get in, but he's saying we'll probably have to run her one more time.
"She's is great form and she's ready to run, she's got all the bonuses at Exeter on Sunday.
"We'll look at the Exeter race, she seems in very good form and we couldn't be happier with the way she's been going at home."
