Iris De Balme, a shock 66-1 winner of the Coral Scottish Grand National in 2008, could run at Mollington, near Banbury, tomorrow.

Now a 13-year-old, the gelding was trained by Sean Curran at Hatford, near Stanford in the Vale, to grab the glory in the Ayr marathon.

However, his career thereafter was interrupted by injury and he only ran six more times under National Hunt Rules before being retired.

Freshened up by a spell in the hunting field, he has been entered in the men’s open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup – one of the sport’s four ‘classics’ – over an extended three miles and seven furlongs.

His rivals could include Doctor Kingsley, a winner of nine of his last ten points, and a distant fourth to Salsify in the CGA Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for Pauline Harkin, who trains at nearby Edgcote.

Notable stayers in the line-up include the quirky Gidam Gidam, who prevailed in the Fernie Four-Miler in June, while Nobby Kivambo was a ten-length winner of the Tedworth Gold Cup last month.

Nipper John, who has won all four of his completed starts this term for Hatford trainer Sally Randell, is set to cross swords with former Grade 1 winning hurdler Lough Derg in the Point-to-Point Owners & Riders’ Association Club Members’ race for veteran and novice riders. Nipper John was a facile winner of the members’ race at Lockinge on Easter Monday, while Lough Derg came out of retirement to chase home Euro Farmer in the confined on the same card.

Palypso De Creek, the regular mount of Claire Hart, can extend his winning run to seven in the AGA ladies’ open over three and a half miles.

The main dangers appear to be Horsham Lad and Prince Massini.

The consistent As It Is, trained by Alice Walthew, is taken to go one better in the opening restricted contest after narrowly being denied by Norwich Well at Lockinge. Rahealty, who gave East Garston trainer Kirstin Mellor her first winner when taking a division of the open maiden at the Wantage venue, is another interesting contender.

First race is 2pm.