After the 10-minute delay in the start of the Grand National on Saturday, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority decided to issue a report. The HRA stated that the unique nature of the Grand National, with a field of 40, was the cause of the problems with the starting procedure at Aintree.

HRA spokesman Paul Struthers said that organizers were not happy with the delay after it took four tries to get the 40 contestants behind the tape to begin the race. Starter Peter Haynes refused to let them go since some of the horses had their noses over the line.

Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever is likely to compete at Aintree. The eight-year-old, owned by Andrea and Graham Wylie, is expected to renew his rivalry with Black Jack Ketchum in the John Smith’s Liverpool Hurdle, the first event of the three-day meeting.

Inglis Drever was the star on day three of the Cheltenham Festival when he won his second World Hurdle. Trainer Johnson feels the horse is now even in better form than last month. “He’s come out of Cheltenham without a bother. In fact, I’d say he’s even better than he was before the World Hurdle,” Johnson explained.

Sergeant Cecil is in great shape in preparation to his comeback at Newbury on April 21, as informed by Trainer Rod Millman. "He's had a lovely winter and I'm really pleased with him. If anything, he's come back bigger and stronger than he ever has before," Millman said.

The eight-year-old will return in the Group 3 Dubai Tennis Championships Stakes, the same competition in which he started last year. However, trainer Millman believes Sergeant Cecil is a little bit more forward in his campaign than he was twelve months ago.

Trainer John Carr has informed that Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity could be signed up for the totesport Ebor at York. Initially, Carr had hinted that the Scottish Champion Hurdle could be the next stop for Sublimity but that plan was abandoned.

"I've a lot of ideas in my head about where to take him next but Liverpool is definitely out," Trainer Carr explained. "I will enter him for Punchestown and I'll also enter him for the Listed Alleged Stakes that he won at the Curragh two years ago on the Flat.”

Nickname was declared by Martin Brassil for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, among other 12 contestants. Trainer Brassil has said several times that his horse would not line up unless the ground was testing, since Nickname won his last four starts on soft and heavy ground.

Cheltenham is still on the soft side, which will not be an inconvenient for favorite Well Chief. The nine-year-old, trained by David Pipe, returned from a long rest last month when he won the Game Spirit Chase.

French-bred Nickname, who recently won his fourth consecutive race at Naas by an arrogant 12 lengths, is at the moment one of the most exciting chasers in Ireland. However, he is not certain to take part in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham next month.

Trainer Martin Brassil has explained that the horse may not run in one of the biggest races at the National Hunt Festival due to the uncertainty concerning the ground. "I'll not make up my mind until three days before the race," Brassil explained. "That will be time enough for you never know what the ground will be like in the middle of March."

Kauto Star heads 29 horses competing for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The seven-year-old, who recently won the AON Chase at Newbury, will face Exotic Dancer, who has already taken part in three contests at Cheltenham this season, and Robert Alner’s The Listener.

“The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup obviously revolves around Kauto Star, who is rated 12lb superior to his nearest rival, Our Vic,” Kieran Packman, Timeform’s communications manager, said. “In the last 20 years, only two horses, Desert Orchid and Carvill’s Hill, had pre-Cherltenham form on a par with that which Kauto Star has shown.”

Point Barrow has become the fifth horse in twenty-five years to win the Pierse Leopardstown Handicap Chase carrying top weight. The nine-year old will be signed up for the Irish and English Grand Nationals and he is likely to head to Aintree.

“Aintree will be just the job as he stays so well,” owner Pat Hughes said. “He'll be entered in both the English and Irish but at the moment, I'd be coming down in favor of Liverpool. I haven't even mapped out a program yet but that was always in the back of my mind.”

It has been confirmed that only four contestants will compete in December’s Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown. Brave Inca and Iktitaf, the favorite for the bets, will renew their rivalry at the racetrack.

Last month, Iktitaf won the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown for more than eight lengths ahead of Colm Murphy’ s gelding. Afterwards, Brave Inca succeeded in Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse and won the Festival Hurdle last year.

Churchill Downs has decided to think ahead and offer its public the opportunity to purchase a 2007 Kentucky Derby experience package. The number of packages is limited and they include Kentucky Derby and Oaks tickets with exclusive seats and amenities that are not usually available to the general public.

Those who purchase the packages will also receive tickets to the annual Barnstable Brown Party and a private tour of the Churchill Downs stable area. A total of 22 packages are available, they cost from $4,000 to $25,000 and are divided in three levels: Win, Place and Show.