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Top Ville Ben could be given a run-out at Aintree next month, with trainer Phil Kirby aiming his popular 11-year-old for a possible tilt at the Topham Chase.

After finishing a gallant third in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase in early February, Top Ville Ben found the Cheltenham going a bridge too far, pulling up three fences from home in the Ultima two weeks ago.

Despite that disappointing ending, he had jumped well up until that point despite being seriously hampered on landing at the 10th.

The gelding already has some experience of the Grand National track having run in both the Becher and the National itself last season.

Kirby will school the horse at home after feeling his jumping was less than fluent at Cheltenham, and a satisfactory session will see him head back to Aintree for the two-mile-five-furlong handicap.

The trainer said: "He's an entry in the Topham, so that's the plan at the moment.

"He was just a bit sticky at Cheltenham so we're going to school him at home.

"We'll school him and if he jumps well then the plan will be to go there, but he's come out of the race at Cheltenham absolutely fine."