TRAINER Sam Thomas is set for a crack at the Grand National with Our Power after withdrawals opened the way to a place in the Aintree field.

The Abergavenny-raised Gold Cup winning jockey said it would be “incredible” for his small Welsh stable if the horse could sneak into the final field for the £1m race.

And not only is he now set to run in April 15’s showcase, but he’ll be among the more fancied horses, currently rated at 25-1 following wins in the London Gold Cup at Ascot last autumn and February victory at Kempton in the Coral Trophy.

There will also be plenty of emotion riding on Our Power, after owner Dai Walters suffered a horror helicopter crash with Thomas in North Wales in November, and is still recovering from the injuries he sustained.

The Telegraph reported on Friday that Our Power “will make the cut for the race after a number of defections above him in the weights at the forfeit stage mean he only needs one horse to drop out between now and the 48-hour declaration stage for the April 15 race”.

Our Power jockey Sam Twiston-Davies said after victory at Kempton: “He was fantastic early in the season when he won at Ascot.

“This was only his second run of the season and it’s a fair training performance to win a £100,000 handicap and then this.

“He’s the right type for the National and I feel now would be the right time…

“He’s an accurate jumper and can also be quite bold. I think he’s got what it takes for the National and it would be great for Sam who is a good friend and a very good trainer…

“He’ll look well-handicapped now and he’d be a good one if he gets in the National… The National would be the dream but I’ll leave that up to connections.”

HorseRacing.net said: “Our Power has somewhat blossomed since switching to the world of chasing, as having won only three of 15 hurdle races he’s won four of his eight chase starts…

“He started his campaign out at Ascot in the London Gold Cup Handicap Chase and he duly brushed his rivals away that day with a two-length win over Danny Kirwan.

“Sent to Kempton next time out for the Coral Trophy, he defied a 5lb rise and got the better of Flegmatik narrowly in an epic finish off a mark of 141, and it’s that figure he lines up off in the 2023 National.

“While there are much more proven class acts in the field that are sure to prove popular with many people’s Grand National Tips, Our Power is one of those fast-improvers that could relish the test of Aintree’s world famous steeplechase.

“A sound jumper, who looks like he will have no issues stepping up in trip, Our Power has blossomed with every run over fences and he could well be a force to be reckoned with in mid-April, if he takes to the challenge of the idiosyncratic Aintree course.”

Having had to settle for fifth in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter last month with 2021 Welsh National winner Iwilldoit, Thomas was back in the winner’s enclosure last week at Bangor-on-Dee as Ed Keeper got off the mark in the 2m 3½f maiden hurdle - a fifth win in March for the yard.

Thomas said: “He’s a cracking horse and one to look forward to for next season… It’s great for the team at home.”