Twiston-Davies plots positive waves in the Grand National marathon aboard Tidal Bay

The young rider, who has enjoyed much success over the Aintree fences with veterans like Hello Bud and Baby Run, partnered the quirky 13-year-old to a famous win in the Bet365 Hurdle, just his second ride for top trainer Paul Nicholls.

With the jockey’s father Nigel having just one runner –Same Difference – in the April 5 marathon, and Nicholls’s retained rider Daryl Jacob sidelined after a horrific fall at Cheltenham, Twiston-Davies has been asked to ride the top weight.

“It is looking likely Sam Twiston-Davies will ride Tidal Bay. He has won on him earlier in the season,” said Nicholls. “The horse’s form in his last three handicap chases off top weight has been very good.

“He’s in good shape and I very much look forward to him running.”

Nicholls also offered a fascinating insight into the positive tactics that Twiston-Davies, 21, will deploy. “The thing to do with him is not let him get outpaced,” he added. “You want him to pick off horses one by one and that will see him arrive late. The key is to let him get into a rhythm.”

Currently 73 horses remain in contention compared to 57 at this stage 12 months ago.

With the race itself restricted to 40 runners, the Sue Smith pair of Mr Moonshine and Vintage Star were already guaranteed a run. As reported last week by The Yorkshire Post, Ryan Mania is set to ride Mr Moonshine 12 months after he rode the now retired Auroras Encore to glory.

Now 42nd in the handicap, it is almost certain that Rose Of The Moon will be a first runner in the race for Nawton trainer David O’Meara who has enjoyed great success on the Flat.

That ride is likely to go to Jake Greenall who has ridden the horse to three successes previously. There would also be a neat piece of symmetry to the jockey’s first ride in the National – his father, Lord Daresbury, is the outgoing chairman of Aintree.

However, it is improbable that Keith Reveley’s dual Doncaster winner Night In Milan will make the cut; he needs 13 higher-rated horses to be omitted by the time of the final declarations at 10am on April 3.

As expected, Malcolm Jefferson’s Cape Tribulation has been withdrawn while the 27-strong absentee list also includes Ted Walsh’s Seabass.

Ante-post favourite is last year’s third-place Teaforthree. Significantly, British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper Phil Smith believes the Welsh runner, trained by Rebecca Curtis, is “four pounds well-in at the weights” following his unplaced effort in the Gold Cup.

Smith also said the Philip Hobbs-trained Balthazar King, 13th in the handicap at 10st 13lb, would be significantly higher if the weights had been framed before the horse’s last-gasp win in Cheltenham’s cross-country race.

According to Smith, the same applies to last season’s Wetherby winner Goulanes who won last Saturday’s Betfred National at Uttoxeter for the in-form David Pipe stable. With just 10st 1lb, he could the best handicapped of the 40 runners. However, Goulanes does require nine horses to be withdrawn before his participation is confirmed, it could be touch and go.

Malton-born jockey Andrew Tinkler completed a first and last race double at Wetherby yesterday on Oliver’s Hill and Supasundae.

Work Boy was a popular winner for Ilkley trainer Richard Drake. Owned by his wife Janet and ridden by their daughter Samantha, the former Sue Smith horse had been on the injury sidelines for three years. “As a family we’ve had winners pointing but they were never in my name,” said the trainer.

“This is my first winner officially and my first under Rules.”

Ryan Mania, meanwhile, continued his career-best season with victory aboard Fiddlers Reel.