BOB BUCKLER thinks Irish National winner Niche Market has a “serious chance” of a repeat in the John Smith’s-sponsored event at Aintree.

The nine-year-old landed his biggest win at Fairyhouse last April and finished an excellent third behind Denman in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury in November.

He finished last of five behind Carruthers in a graduation chase back at Newbury last month but is still on course to the Grand National on April 10.

Niche Market is a general 20-1 joint second favourite with most firms for the Aintree showpiece and he was among the 112 entries at yesterday’s first declaration stage.

Buckler said: I was a bit disappointed with him at Newbury. Maybe he wasn’t fully switched on but he’s absolutely fine and it all just happened a bit quick for him.

“He’s a relentless galloper and the trip was a bit short around a flat track.

“He might go for a graduation chase at Exeter on Sunday week if the ground is not too heavy. Then probably the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham and then the Grand National at Aintree.

“I think he has a very serious chance in the National. Obviously you have got the National factor of not knowing what happens in the race. But as a horse he is made for it, he has proved that he stays long trips and jumps well.”

Also entered at Aintree is Henry Daly’s Possol, who will head to Kempton later this month before his bid for John Smith’s Grand National glory.

Henry Daly’s gelding has been running over hurdles this season to protect his mark over fences.

He has won twice at Ascot and Doncaster and is currently among a clutch of horses on the 20-1 with most bookmakers for the National.

With the weights for this year’s National to be revealed in London on February 16, Daly will put his seven-year-old back over fences afterwards in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton on February 27, a race in which he was second to Nacarat last year.

Daly said: “He was going to run at Doncaster last Saturday (the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle) but unfortunately that was off.

“I’ve entered him in the National and he will probably go for the Racing Post next.”

Also among the 112 possible runners on April 10, the lowest entry at this stage since 2000, are the last three winners – Mon Mome, Comply Or Die and Silver Birch.

Comply Or Die, who finished second to Mon Mome last year, is one of nine entries for trainer David Pipe, who also has Madison Du Berlais and Seven Is My Number entered.

As well as Mon Mome and Comply Or Die, the other four of the first six home in 2009 – My Will, State Of Play, Cerium and Big Fella Thanks – are all on course to return to Merseyside in two months.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Big Fella Thanks and My Will, has also entered Saturday’s Cheltenham winner Taranis and Tricky Trickster, who is currently the ante-post favourite and is a best-priced 16-1 with most firms.

The 38-strong Irish-trained entry includes Vic Venturi, Black Apalachi, Notre Pere, War Of Attrition and 10 from the Willie Mullins stable.

There are plenty of other top British horses who may head to Merseyside in Donald McCain’s Cloudy Lane, the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Albertas Run, Star De Mohaison, Trabolgan, Air Force On, Joe Lively and also Pipe’s Our Vic and Charlie Longsdon’s Palypso De Creek, who finished first and second in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock Park last month.

Liverpool-born Phil Smith, the British Horseracing Authority’s head of handicapping, said: “There is fantastic strength in depth to the entries.

“There are more horses rated 140 or above among the entries in this year’s race than in the previous 11 years that I have handicapped the contest.”

Meanwhile Evan Williams will send last year’s fourth State Of Play to the National with another run. His only run since last April saw him pulled up in the Hennessy. Williams said: “He had a bit of a problem in his lumbar region after the Hennessy, which explains why he ran no sort of a race there. It was a minor problem that we sorted out, he’s in full work right now and I am very happy with him.

“We were pleased with his run last year. He jumped exceptionally well and the only mistake he made was at the one before Becher’s, second time.

“He got shuffled back about 12 to 15 lengths at that point but then he got back into the race quite nicely between the second-last and the last.

“My plan was to go straight back there after last year’s race without a run. In a funny sort of a way, it is probably a good thing that we took him to Newbury for a day out and had that run around there.

“All of the very best runs in his life have come after a long break and there is no point in running him anywhere else before the Grand National.”