Connections are reminded that the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National closes for entries on Tuesday, January 27.
This year’s renewal of the world’s greatest steeplechase, run over four and a half miles, takes place at Aintree on Saturday, April 4, with record prize money of £900,000 on offer.
One horse who definitely will be entered for the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National is Endless Power. The Jim Goldie-trained nine-year-old is no stranger to success over the famous Grand National fences, having scored a dramatic pillar-to-post success in the totesuper7 Grand Sefton Chase at the Northwest Racing Masters on November 23, while he also won the John Smith’s Winner’s Tipple Novices’ Handicap Chase over the Mildmay Course at last season’s Grand National Meeting. Most recently, he posted an encouraging display when third in a handicap hurdle at Ayr on January 10. Endless Power would be bidding to become only the second Scottish-trained winner of the John Smith’s Grand National following the victory of Rubstic in 1979.
Jim Goldie said today: “Endless Power will certainly be entered in the John Smith’s Grand National and history says that the winner of totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase should be highly rated enough to run in the race.
“His victory in the totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and his tiring in the closing stages was partly due to the ground but also down to the riding tactics we employed - we threw the gauntlet down to the rest of the field and it paid off.
“We will try and hang on to him a bit more in the John Smith’s Grand National. The obvious problem will be his stamina but it’s a bit of an unknown factor for most of the horses in the race. We need to get him into a happy medium between charging off and leaving him with too much to do on the second circuit.
“He’s won twice around Aintree now and he’s got a progressive profile. I was concerned about his handicap mark after he won the totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase so we decided to give him a spin over hurdles at Ayr on January 10 and we were delighted with his run there. We will consider running him in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton (February 21) before Aintree or alternatively the Newbury Gold Cup (February 28).
“I think we have to aim at the John Smith’s Grand National this year because he’s in such good form. If he fails to stay the trip then we can come back to Aintree the following season for the totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and possibly the John Smith’s Topham Chase.
“I’ve watched the John Smith’s Grand National for as long as I can remember and I still don’t think that there is such a thing as a National horse. The quality of the horses has improved so much over the past few years and the ability to travel and jump at pace is the key.”
The 2009 John Smith’s Grand National entries will be revealed on Wednesday, January 28, while the weights for the contest are unveiled at the traditional weights lunch, which takes place in London on Tuesday, February 10. The maximum weight for this year’s race will be 11st 10lb.
