Few horses can ever have caused such a stir without running outside amateur ranks - but then Cappa Bleu is no ordinary horse. Having come straight from point-to-points to win the Cheltenham Foxhunters by 12 lengths in March, he graduates to the big league at Aintree tomorrow with plenty already tempted to back him at big odds for the Gold Cup.

Previously trained in rural Shropshire by Sheila Crow, a permit holder, Cappa Bleu has moved to the flourishing south Wales stable of Evan Williams, pictured, who is using a two-and-a-half mile novices' chase to prepare the seven-year-old for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.

Williams is anxious that expectations should be tempered tomorrow. “He's done nothing on grass yet and is only 85 per cent fit,” he said. “It's an inadequate trip against some smart, speedier types and I make no bones that this is a prep run. He's very short of experience and I felt I couldn't take him straight to the Hennessy.”

Tony McCoy is a significant jockey booking. The trainer explained: “Deep Purple will run in the Charlie Hall Chase next week and could then also go for the Hennessy. Paul Moloney will ride him, so I'm hopeful that A.P. will be available to keep the ride on Cappa Bleu.”

With more Flat racing than ever before, records are there to be broken but Mark Johnston nevertheless achieved a momentous landmark yesterday in becoming the first to train 200 British winners in a calendar year. Johnston, who had already exceeded Richard Hannon's year-old record of 189, called it “incredible” and reflected that his target had been simply to beat his own previous best of 166. He could add another group one with Shakespearean in the Racing Post Trophy today.

There is more than one reason why Sir Alex Ferguson's attentions centre on Liverpool this weekend. The northwest derby at Anfield will occupy him tomorrow afternoon but today, just down the road at Aintree, his colours are carried by Picture This in a handicap hurdle at 2.50. Paul Nicholls, Sir Alex's trainer, has flexed his muscles this week and introduces the heavily hyped Aiteen Thirtythree in the Persian War Novices' Hurdle at Chepstow.