Tuesday, March 23, 2010

75 GO FORWARD IN JOHN SMITH’S GRAND NATIONAL

No less than 63 of the remaining horses - a remarkable 84 per cent - are still in the handicap for the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National, which takes place at Aintree at 4.15pm on Saturday, April 10. There is a maximum field size of 40, with a weight of at least 10st 7lb currently needed to make the final line up.

The John Smith’s Grand National, this year carrying a record £925,000 in prize money, is one race still to elude champion trainer Paul Nicholls but he has four chances of adding the world’s most famous chase to his CV next month. Big Fella Thanks, winner of a Grade Three handicap chase at Newbury earlier this month, is currently totesport’s 8/1 favourite for the John Smith’s Grand National, and Tricky Trickster, who was unplaced in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning the Grade Two Aon Chase on his previous start, are among Nicholls’ leading hopes.

Six of the last 11 John Smith’s Grand National winners were trained in Ireland and there are 25 contenders who could add to that record in 2010 including Vic Venturi, winner of the totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree in November, and Black Apalachi, who landed the same race in 2008. Both represent Curragh trainer Dessie Hughes.

The 2007 John Smith’s Grand National winner Silver Birch needs 11 horses to come out of the race to be guaranteed a run while Comply Or Die, successful in the 2008 renewal and runner-up in 2009, is certain of a place in this year’s line-up.

Other leading contenders include The Package, who was a fast-finishing second in the William Hill Trophy Chase at Cheltenham last week, Welsh National hero Dream Alliance and 2009 Irish Grand National winner Niche Market, who will bid to give trainer Bob Buckler his biggest success at Aintree on Saturday, April 10.

The five-day confirmation deadline for the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National is on Monday, April 5 and the final declaration stage on Thursday, April 8.

TWISTON-DAVIES BIDS FOR NATIONAL WIN NUMBER THREE

Twiston-Davies saddled Imperial Commander to score at Cheltenham on Friday and he has seven possible contenders heading to the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday, April 10, as he bids to emulate a feat last achieved by Fred Rimell in 1976.

Beat The Boys, Ballyfitz, Ollie Magern, Irish Raptor, Razor Royale, Hello Bud and Knowhere all remained in the John Smith’s Grand National after today’s scratchings deadline for a race that their trainer has won twice before, with Earth Summit in 1998 and Bindaree in 2002.

“I’d like to run them all if they are all OK,” Twiston-Davies said in a telephone interview at Aintree’s Northern Media Lunch today.

“Beat The Boys was a bit disappointing at Cheltenham so we’ll have to check that he’s come out of it alright. But the plan is to run Ballyfitz, Irish Raptor, Ollie Magern, Razor Royale, Hello Bud and - if he gets in - Knowhere.

“I’m very excited about Irish Raptor’s chances and he’s run six times over the National fences. Hello Bud led the other day at Cheltenham and got tired at the end but he’ll run a hell of a race I’d have thought.

“Ollie Magern is down to a weight he could win off. He’s a good jumper and quite exciting as well. Razor Royale had one of those days and didn’t have things his own way at Cheltenham but the extra mile and a half will suit him so I’m excited by him too.

“I owe the Grand National everything, as everybody knows I’d have given up training if it hadn’t been for Bindaree winning and he turned my career around.”

Twiston-Davies is hoping his 17-year-old son Sam will be riding one of the stable’s runners at Aintree.

“Sam has to ride one more winner over fences or hurdles to be qualified automatically to ride and hopefully he can do that over the next few days,” added the trainer.

“Otherwise there’s a procedure where we can apply to the licensing committee and I’d hope they’d look favourably, he’s had a lot of good rides over fences this year.”

Twiston-Davies could be well represented in several other feature races at Aintree with Imperial Commander, Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle runner-up Khyber Kim and Christie’s Foxhunter Chase winner Baby Run all pencilled in for a run.

“Imperial Commander is 100 per cent, there’s no bother on him at all and the plan at the moment is to run him in the Totesport Bowl at Aintree. He’s always been a good horse and proved it on Friday,” added the Gloucestershire trainer.

“The plan is to bring Baby Run to Aintree for the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ and he’s blossomed in his old age and we’re hoping to run Khyber Kim in the John Smith’s Dick Francis Aintree Hurdle and if Binocular’s there we’ll take him on again.”

Venetia Williams, who saddled 100/1 shot Mon Mome to victory last year, is hoping for another good performance from the now 10-year-old, who finished an excellent third behind Imperial Commander in last week’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"I felt it was cheeky to run him in the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a prep race but I was absolutely delighted with what he did and we picked up a nice prize of about £50,000,” Williams said.

"All roads lead to Aintree now. He stayed on well up the hill at the Festival and the extra mile will be in his favour.

"At the end of the day you are only talking about a matter of another 3lb if either of the top weights, Notre Pere or Madison Du Berlais, were to come out.

"What matters in the National is if something falls in front of you - that's something you just can't cope with. There is so much that needs to go right on the day. You just need to make sure you get the lucky breaks and hope you don't get brought down - so 3lb isn't going to make a major difference.

"What we did last time worked exceptionally well in the run up. In fact, his preparation has gone better this year than last. We have got nothing to change as there is a blueprint to follow.

“All you want is to make sure that he will be there to do himself justice - but there are 40 runners in the race and they will all be desperate to run well. We just hope there are nice conditions and he will come on for sure."



Williams could also run Flintoff, who is currently number 49 on the list of contenders (there is a maximum field size of 40) and she is hoping he will also be in the line up.

“He had a problem with a bruised foot but is in good form and is doing his work well. Hopefully, he will get to run,” she added. “He is on the cusp of the ballot so my fingers are crossed for him. We have run out of time to give him a prep run but that is not a worry because he finished second in the Midlands National last year, having not run since autumn. All being well, he will get into the race.”

BHA Head of Handicapping, Phil Smith, was interviewed at the Lunch and reflected on the weights, which were announced on February 16.

“I’d expect the bottom weight to be 10st 4lb or 10st 5lb judging by what has happened in previous years, so from a handicapping point of view, it’s good that everything looks like being in the handicap,” said Smith.

“There have been several horses that have done well since we did the weights and among those I’d have higher now are Black Apalachi and Vic Venturi, who I’d both raise by 4lb.

“I think Big Fella Thanks is interesting on 10st 12lb as I’d have him 5lb higher and I’d also have Arbor Supreme 5lb higher. The Package ran a fantastic race at Cheltenham and I’d have him 6lb higher.

“The horse that is technically best in is Chief Dan George, who has won twice since the weights and would be 12lb higher but the flaw is that he is less than 50/50 to get into the race.

“I also thought Mon Mome ran a smashing race at Cheltenham and he’s rated 155 now which he runs off in the National.”

The five-day confirmation deadline for the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National is on Monday, April 5 and the final declaration stage on Thursday, April 8.

DUNGUIB GIVEN RABOBANK CHAMPION HURDLE OPTION AT PUNCHESTOWN - SIZING EUROPE HEADS STRONG DE BROMHEAD TEAM

Fenton said: “Dunguib took his race at Cheltenham extremely well and the idea now is to head to Punchestown, where he will be given an entry in both the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle and the Rabobank Champion Hurdle.

“At the moment there is every chance that he will stay in novice company but we will keep our cards close to our chest and take a close look at both races nearer the time before making any final decision.

“We just didn’t have the luck on the day at Cheltenham but we have to put up with it. Fair dues to the winner, who did it well, but we have to look forward to getting Dunguib back on track at Punchestown. Brian (O’Connell) will be back on the horse and he will make amends for what happened at Cheltenham.”

While Dunguib failed to feature among the seven Irish-trained winners at Cheltenham last week, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Sizing Europe recorded a stunning victory over Somersby in the Grade One Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase.

The eight-year-old is on course to bid for a fourth chase victory at Punchestown this season in the Ryanair Novice Chase on Thursday, April 22, having followed up a debut success over fences with victories in the Grade Three Buck House Novice Chase in October and in the Grade Two Craddockstown Novice Chase the following month.

De Bromhead reported: “Sizing Europe is in good form - he travelled home well and we are very happy with him. I am absolutely over the moon with his run at Cheltenham and it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I was especially delighted for the horse because he finally showed what he can do at Cheltenham.

“Everything seems to have fallen into place with him this season and a lot of hard work has gone into him. We are just getting him over last week but we are certainly aiming him towards the Ryanair Novice Chase.

“He certainly likes Punchestown - he has won there four times, including when beating Big Zeb in a winners of one hurdle at the 2007 Festival, which looks like quite a good bit of form now!”

A large team from de Bromhead’s Co Waterford stable may also include fellow Ryanair Novice Chase hopeful An Cathaoir Mor, winner of the Grade One Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown in January and Cheltenham Grade Two scorer Loosen My Load.

De Bromhead added: “An Cathaoir Mor will also be given an entry at Punchestown, but it is obviously very ground dependent whether he runs or not - soft ground is the key to him.

“Loosen My Load had been on the go since last summer so we decided to give him a little break after he won at Cheltenham in November. He didn’t come back well enough to return for the Festival there and run in such competitive Grade One races.

“He looks great now and he will hopefully head to Fairyhouse over Easter and then on to Punchestown. We will decide after his next run whether to keep him over two miles for the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle or step him up in distance for the Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle over half a mile further.

“He has won a Grade Two hurdle around Cheltenham and I am not sure that he needs to step up in distance at this stage of his career.

“I hope to have quite a few other runners - Fort George, Sizing Australia, Sizing America, Sizing Mexico, The Spoonplayer - and we will hopefully have some nice horses going to Punchestown this year.”

The Irish National Hunt Festival runs at Punchestown from Tuesday, April 20, to Saturday, April 24. Please visit www.punchestown.com for information on tickets, race times, accommodation and hospitality packages.

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