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Colin Tizzard expects Cue Card to "run a big race" as he bids to win the Betway Bowl Chase for the second year running at Aintree on Thursday.

Just like 12 months ago, Cue Card arrives at Merseyside on the back of a fall at the third-last fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

However, Cue Card is giving Tizzard the right signs ahead of the defence of his crown in the Grade One feature over three miles and a furlong.

"He's coming here exactly the same as happened in the Gold Cup last year," said the Devon handler.

"He's the highest-rated horse in the race. His rating is quite a bit higher than any other horse. He should run a big race.

"Paddy Brennan came in and schooled him and he seems as good as he has been all year. If he's anywhere near his best he'll be fine."

Brennan was delighted with that schooling session

"I schooled him last Thursday, and the feel he gave me there just sums the horse up. He is a legend," he told 32Red.com.

"I schooled him over six fences and he loved every second of it. He was unbelievable and gave me a fantastic feel. I think a left-handed, flat track, with a bit of ease in the ground, in a small field, is ideal for him and that is what he gets here.

"A lot of people may want to oppose him after his fall at Cheltenham last time, but the simple fact of the matter is that the race didn't work out for him that day.

"By Gold Cup standards we hacked around, and went very slow early on, but I was keen not to make as much use of him as I did in the King George when I tried to stick it up to Thistlecrack.

"I wanted him to be finishing his race at Cheltenham. As a result I got stuck behind horses and wasn't ideally positioned, and he fell.

"Sometimes you can't do right from wrong. But he is the class horse of the race and you underestimate him at your peril, as he showed when winning this race last year after falling at the Festival.

"He hasn't been out of the first two in five starts around here and an on-song Cue Card will be too good for these. Let's hope he is. "

Silviniaco Conti claimed the honours in 2014 and 2015 but did not attempt the hat-trick as he ran in the Grand National instead, when he was pulled up.

However, he is back to reclaim his crown after being freshened up since being well beaten behind Many Clouds in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January.

His trainer Paul Nicholls believes his course specialist has sound claims on his run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, when he was just a short head behind Cue Card when third to Thistlecrack.

"He is in good form and we have kept him fresh. He has obviously won around that course twice," said the Ditcheat handler.

"He seems in good order and had a racecourse gallop last week so we are looking forward to running him.

"He is fresh compared to a lot of them. It was probably an error of judgement and I probably shouldn't have run him when I did at Cheltenham. The ground was too testing and he didn't like it.

"If you go on King George form he was only beaten a head by Cue Card and that was a good run. If he runs anywhere like that he will have a big chance. The ground is right, he loves good ground and he loves that track."

Smad Place was only eighth in the Gold Cup, but trainer Alan King felt that race stretched his stamina and expects the grey to fare better over this less exacting course.

"Smad Place seems in good form at home and he finished fourth in this race two years ago," the Barbury Castle trainer told www.alankingracing.co.uk.

"I thought he ran well for a long way in the Gold Cup, but three and a quarter miles around Cheltenham does seem to stretch his stamina and this will be less of a test on the Mildmay Course."

Nigel Twiston-Davies would like to see softer ground for Bristol De Mai, but is hopeful of a decent show.

"I hope Aintree will suit him, he was third in the Grade One juvenile hurdle there a couple of years ago," said the Naunton handler.

"The one thing I would have liked to have seen was more rain, he'd prefer it softer. He ran all right in the Gold Cup, without the mistake at the last he might have been third or fourth. It wasn't a bad run. He's still only six, don't forget."

Empire Of Dirt disappointed connections when only fourth in the Ryanair Chase, but he did finish second to subsequent Gold Cup hero Sizing John in the Irish Gold Cup in February.

"He has something to prove after Cheltenham so we'll see what happens," said Eddie O'Leary, racing manager to owners Gigginstown House Stud. "If you forgot about his run at Cheltenham, he'd have a chance."

Tea For Two only got as far as the second fence in the Gold Cup, where he unseated Lizzie Kelly, but he was not beaten far when fourth in the King George.

"We hope he can put a good show after what happened at Cheltenham," said his trainer Nick Williams.

The field of seven is completed by the Venetia Williams-trained Aso, who put in a good effort to take third place behind Un De Sceaux in the Ryanair.