Trainer Dan Skelton has confirmed that Azzuri will run at the Crabbie’s Grand National meeting at Aintree next month.

The four-year-old was linked with a run at the Cheltenham Festival but connections and Skelton decided against it.

Early reports claimed he would run in the JCB Triumph Hurdle but next month’s Aintree meeting is now on the agenda.

The four-year-old is set to run in the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle on April 7 and Skelton believes the extra rest will do him the world of good, as he tries to win for the first time since July 2015.

He said: ”Azzuri is going to go to Aintree for the Grade One juvenile hurdle. We were not intimidated by the opposition at Cheltenham, he just a hard race at Kempton and he put it all on the line – this gives him a little bit longer to get over it.

“Jumping is his asset and I just feel that a few will have had a hard race at Cheltenham then head to Aintree with the gloss taken off them.”

The bay gelding has won two races since 2015 and he only found Zubayr too good last time out at Kempton.

His second-placed finish was his best run in over a year although April’s meeting will be first run at Aintree.