ANOTHER Grand National shot is on the cards for James Moffatt’s Highland Lodge.

The Cartmel-trained 10-year-old agonisingly missed out on the big race at Aintree in April by a single pound in the weights.

That was despite victory over the National fences in the Becher Chase last December – a victory which had him marked down as a fancied outsider on the same track four months later.

It was not to be and Highland Lodge was one of several big names to miss out – 2014 National winner Pineau De Re, Haydock Grand National Trial victor Bishops Road, and 2014 and 2015 fourth-placed Aintree horse Alvardo also failed to make it – as discussion over the allocation of the weights and whether a new system should be used increased.

Instead he went to the Scottish Grand National and never looked a contender as he was pulled up by Henry Brooke. Moffatt has given his mount plenty of time to relax and recuperate since then, but already has his eyes on a return to the Becher Chase in November and then another tilt at the National next April.

The Pit Farm Stables handler, who enjoyed the biggest win of his career when Highland Lodge took the £78,597.60 first prize in the Becher last year, says his mount is looking in good shape in the yard and will start building towards his next races very soon.

“We’ve had to bring him out of the field because he was going crackers in the field,” said Moffatt, who has enjoyed much success with several of his horses at Cartmel so far this season, but has yet to claim victory elsewhere.

“He’s bucking and kicking and he will be starting to come into work very soon with the preparations for the one race, which would be the Becher Chase. All roads lead to that.

“That’s where we’re going. Whether we give him a preparation run over hurdles or not, I don’t know yet, but I can’t wait to see him over the National fences again.

“We’ll go through the same process as we did last year and hopefully this year we will get in. He was so unlucky not to get in last year – it was only one pound in the ratings that we missed out on last year. It was tough to take.

“To then run him in a race which, in our heart of hearts, we know wasn’t right for him – Ayr is so different to Aintree and he is an Aintree horse and the National fences are what he wants.

“Everything revolves around the Becher Chase. But he is in great form with himself. I’ve never seen him looking so well.”