Wednesday, April 2, 2003

AINTREE GOING UPDATE AT 4 PM

Those courses will be watered overnight to maintain good going, and there will also be selective watering on the Grand National course.

NO LET-UP IN AINTREE BADGE SALES

For Thursday, some badges remain for the County Enclosure and there is also availability for Tattersalls.

Only Tattersalls tickets remain for Friday (Ladies’ Day) and customers are strongly advised to purchase these in advance either today (Wednesday) or Thursday.

On Saturday, Martell Cognac Grand National day, tickets are available for the Tattersalls and Steeplechase enclosures only.

Tattersalls customers should note that their ticket admits to the racecourse - there is no additional badge required.

Telephone bookings are accepted until 6pm today (Wednesday) on 0151 522 2929, while the on-site ticket office is open until 8pm today and until 6pm on both Thursday and Friday.

KAYLEIGH IS SILKY-SMOOTH DESIGNER

She won a competition organised, in conjunction with Aintree Racecourse, by the BEST EiC Education Action Zone which was established two years ago to support the raising of attendance, attitude and achievement levels in local schools.

The Zone, which has worked closely with Aintree Racecourse and the British Horseracing Board’s Training Board to establish exciting and creative links with the curriculum, came up with the challenge of a lifetime for pupils in Bootle, asking them to produce a design for a set of jockey silks.

Kayleigh’s green and black stars, light blue sleeves, and green cap with a black star was voted the winner and the colours have been registered in the name of Aintree Racecourse which has leased Springfield Scally for the Martell Cognac Nisa Today’s Handicap Hurdle.

Aintree linked up with Liverpool’s Radio City for a special competition which has been won by Anne Campbell, who becomes the owner of Springfield Scally for the day and will be hoping that the Steve Gollings-trained front-runner can win.

SEVEN COULD BE EIGHT

Seven of our old favourites have vowed to be there - Party Politics, Miinnehoma, Royal Athlete, Rough Quest, Lord Gyllene, Earth Summit and Papillon - but should Red Marauder, the hero two years ago, be a late withdrawal from the big race on Saturday - and Richard Guest says that he will only run if there is more rain before then - he too will take his place in the parade.

Party Politics, who will dwarf the others in the parade, was an appropriate winner in election year, 1992, but the 19-year-old gentle-giant will not be the oldest on show, that distinction being shared by Freddie Starr’s 1994 winner, Miinnehoma, who is a year his senior, and Royal Athlete, who provided Jenny Pitman with her second success in the race 12 months earlier.

They will also parade on the course at 1.20pm, just before the first race.

RAIDERS START ROLLING IN

Some half an hour later a fleet of horse boxes emerged through the gates, carrying five each from Arthur Moore, Mouse Morris and Noel Meade and, while three of Christy Roche’s challengers were in the same party, the trainer is holding back his Cheltenham winner Youlneverwalkalone, third favourite for the £600,000 big one on Saturday, until the second battalion arrives early on Friday morning.

However, Roche, who has aired reservations about running should the ground ride on the fast side, will have been encouraged by Tuesday’s rain which helped ease the going.

Walsh has decided against trying to win the world’s most famous chase for a second time with Papillon, but the versatile veteran is making the trip to take his place in the ‘Parade of Champions’ on Saturday, while Commanche Court, sixth in the Tote Gold Cup but only three lengths off a place, runs in Thursday’s Martell Cognac Cup in preference to the Mumm Melling Chase over a shorter distance the following day.

With Aintree enjoying a dry night, Tony Martin decided against sending over Coral Cup winner Xenophon for Thursday’s curtain-raiser, but he will still have three representatives at the meeting, all of whom were scheduled to leave his yard at noon today (Wednesday).

This afternoon (Wednesday) sees the arrival of German trainer Christian Von Der Recke’s smart four-year-old Moneytrain, who is travelling by box and ferry in preparation for tomorrow’s Ember Inns Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle.

JOCKEYS VISIT CHILDREN’S CANCER UNIT

Alder Hey’s Rocking Horse Appeal has raised sufficient funds to open a brand new £10-million cancer unit, which will be officially opened on May 23.

Christine Done, fund-raising manager for the appeal, said today: “When the jockeys visited us last year as part of the fund-raising effort, building work was only in the early stages and the children were being treated on a cramped out-dated ward that was totally unsuitable for today’s modern medicine.

“We are delighted that the jockeys are taking time out of their busy schedule to return to the hospital and see this wonderful new facility for themselves and, while the children are looking forward to filling their autograph books, their parents are hoping for some tips for the big race.”

McCoy, third on Blowing Wind for the last two years, is still searching for that elusive first success in the Grand National, the world’s most famous race, and, doubtless, he will get plenty of ribbing in the car from Fitzgerald, who won on Rough Quest in 1996, Llewellyn, twice a hero on Party Politics in 1992 and Earth Summit in 1998, and Culloty, victorious 12 months ago on Bindaree.

The Alder Hey Rocking Horse Appeal was launched at Aintree Racecourse in April, 1998, and has funded the UK’s first-ever integrated cancer unit for children. Alder Hey is responsible for the health of more children than any other hospital in the UK.

WHY I HAVE PLUMPED FOR IRIS BLEU

Iris Bleu was a 100-1 chance last year when he tipped up at the fifth, and, though he has shown marked improvement this season, Tom Scudamore was aboard when he won the Agfa Chase at Sandown.

However, McCoy, who was going well on Blowing Wind when they were taken out at the 19th fence two years ago, remounting to finish third, and was again aboard when they filled minor honours behind Bindaree and What’s Up Boys 12 months ago, insisted that deserting Blowing Wind “was not a difficult decision”

He said:”Blowing Wind would be the safe option, but, though he will give Tom (Scudamore) a brilliant ride, I feel that he might have had his chance.

“In contrast, Iris Bleu has age on his side and is a horse who is going forwards. Obviously, the fact that he fell last year is a bit of a worry, but he seems to have improved tremendously and, besides being impressive at Sandown, he also ran a cracker against Shotgun Willie at Haydock.

“Everyone is talking up Shotgun Willie as a likely winner, so on that form Iris Bleu cannot be far away.”

McCoy returned with a winner at Ascot today, having broken his collarbone in a fall from Golden Alpha at last month’s Cheltenham Festival, but he declared himself A1 again.

He added:”I always planned to come back at Ascot and, having schooled plenty for Martin Pipe on Tuesday, my shoulder felt fine.

“It was disappointing being out for three weeks, but I am not a good spectator and don’t like looking at what I am missing, so I did my best to avoid TV sets while I was off. The only race that I did see was Murray River running at Newbury last week.”

Leighton Aspell stressed that, despite the drying ground, he is looking forward to his first Martell Cognac Grand National ride on Supreme Glory, winner of the Welsh National at Chepstow last season.

Aspell said:”Supreme Glory won the Welsh National despite the ground, not because of it. We have never considered him an out-and-out mudlark - he ran well in the Scottish National on fast ground and, arguably, his best performance was in the Aon Chase at Newbury, where the ground was also on top.

“I schooled Supreme Glory this morning. We took him to Lambourn for a change of scenery and to open his eyes, and he was really bouncing. They are predicting good ground for Saturday, and that will suit me fine.”

Lord Daresbury, chairman of Aintree, will have his binoculars glued on Chris Grant’s hat-trick seeking Master Wood in tomorrow’s (Thursday) Martell Cognac Golden Cross Inn Foxhunters Chase over the National fences, because the in-form 12-year-old is ridden by his 18-year-old son Tom.

Tom need look further for advice on how to ride the National course as it was 21 years ago that his father won the Foxhunters here on 25-1 shot Lone Soldier.

LATEST JOCKEY PLANS

Confirmation that Tony McCoy has opted to partner Iris Bleu left the way clear for Scudamore to ride Blowing Wind, and he will be hoping to make it third time lucky in the world’s greatest race, having got no farther than Valentines (ninth) in two attempts so far.

The same applies to Rodi Greene, who has failed to get round in two tries but will be renewing his association with Majed, whom he had been due to ride last year until a fall in the Martell Topham 48 hours earlier ruled him out.

Robert Thornton, who completed the course for the first time in six attempts last year when finishing fifth on Supreme Charm, has been booked for another of Martin Pipe’s team, You’re Agoodun, who fell at the seventh last year, while the champion trainer has Gerry Supple lined up for Burlu.

Johnny Kavanagh, who was aboard You’re Agoodin last year, has himself picked up a late ride, the Jonjo O’Neill-ridden Carbury’s Cross, who carries the colours of Anne, Duchess of Westminster, triumphant with Last Suspect 18 years ago.

Carbury’s Cross had looked so promising last year and was hugely impressive in winning the Martell VS Handicap Chase on the Friday, but he has lost his way somewhat this season.

Warren Marston, who suffered the ultimate ante-climax when his mount Goguenard fell at the first 12 months ago, is re-united with the horse, who is in much better form this time around.

CLASS ENTRY FOR AINTREE’S OPENING DAY

Paul Barber’s potential star will be re-opposed by Commanche Court, only three lengths behind Valley Henry at Cheltenham, and also Marlborough and the French-trained 2001 winner First Gold, both of whom will be out to redeem their reputations after running below-par at Prestbury Park.

Arthur Moore, who won the inaugural running of the race with Royal Bond in 1984, will be represented by More Than A Stroll, while Tim Easterby’s Barton and the Martin Pipe-trained Lady Cricket complete the line-up, the last-named being the mount of Tony McCoy, who has yet to win this prestigious prize.

Dark’n Sharp is one of 16 declared for the £70,000 Martell Cognac Safeway Red Rum Handicap Chase, and Richard Phillips’s ultra-consistent eight-year-old, who ran a brave race to finish third behind Palarshan in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham, will be attempting to win the race for the second year running. He now races off a 13lb higher mark.

Jonjo O’Neill is heading up from the Cotswolds with two of his Cheltenham heroes, Inching Closer, who got up on the line to win the Pertemps Final and aims to follow up off a 12lb higher mark in the 22-runner Martell Cognac Nisa Today’s Handicap Hurdle, and courageous Triumph Hurdle winner Spectroscope, who renews rivalry with Cheltenham runner-up Well Chief in the Ember Inns Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle, which has attracted a field of 19.

One of the great spectacles of the meeting is always the Martell Cognac Golden Cross Inn Foxhunters Chase over two and three-quarter miles of the National course, and among the 21 starters will be Son of Anshan and Sheltering, who finished third and fourth respectively in the amateurs race 12 months ago.

Richard Guest has won two of the last three runnings of the Martell Cognac Novices’ Handicap Chase with Red Ark and Red Striker, but in a full field of 16 for this year’s renewal he will be playing trainer only as he legs up Larry McGrath for lightly-weighted Night Fighter.

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

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