A total of 65 hopefuls remained in the John Smith’s Grand National after Monday’s five-day confirmation stage, with no less than 55 of those (85 per cent) still in the handicap of the famous chase that takes place at Aintree on Saturday at 4.15pm.
This year’s race carries a record £925,000 in prize money and could see as many as three previous winners taking part. Last year’s 100/1 scorer Mon Mome - just a 12/1 chance with totesport 12 months on - is set to line up on Saturday, as is 2008 hero and 2009 runner-up Comply Or Die.
Another now looking increasingly likely to get a run is Silver Birch, winner in 2007. There is a maximum field size of 40 in the John Smith’s Grand National and Silver Birch is currently jointly 41st in the list of runners so is certain to be one of the four reserves, if not sure to make the final line-up.
British Horseracing Authority Head of Handicapping Phil Smith today ranked the horses on 10st 5lb in order of current ratings and Silver Birch and Cerium are jointly on number 41. There will be a draw at Weatherbys tomorrow (Tuesday) to determine which of the two horses will be ranked 41 and 42.
Trainer Gordon Elliott today confirmed that Robbie Power - who partnered Silver Birch to his 2007 win - will be aboard again on Saturday if the 13-year-old makes the cut. Elliott has also targeted Backstage at the race all season.
“Silver Birch will run in the John Smith’s Grand National if he gets in otherwise he’ll go for the John Smith’s Topham Chase on Friday. Robbie Power will ride him,” Elliott said.
“Backstage is excellent. We weren’t too disappointed with his last run as the ground was really difficult at Navan. He’ll be coming over to Aintree on Thursday.”
Another trainer facing an anxious few days is County Durham handler Howard Johnson, whose two contenders are both close to the cut-off point.
Abbeybraney is certain of a run as number 40 in the handicap, but Johnson’s main hope Royal Rosa still needs three to come out to get into the race. With stable jockey Denis O’Regan set to partner the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi, Johnson could give Ryan Mania a first John Smith’s Grand National mount.
“Both the horses are both really well. I took them down to the sea at Redcar this morning and they loved it. I’ll be schooling them over Grand National fences at home on Wednesday and I’ll decide then about the jockeys,” revealed Johnson.
“Denis couldn’t do the weight for my two and I may give Ryan (Mania) his first John Smith’s Grand National ride and I’ve got another good lad in Wilson Renwick.
“The one I really want to run is Royal Rosa and, if it means getting him in, I would have to take Abbeybraney out.”
Nigel Twiston-Davies, who is bidding to become the first trainer since Fred Rimell in 1976 to win the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and John Smith’s Grand National in the same season, could have as many as six runners in this year’s race.
The trainer’s 17-year-old amateur son, Sam Twiston-Davies, is set to partner Hello Bud, while stable jockey Paddy Brennan, who was aboard Imperial Commander when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, will partner Irish Raptor.
Twiston-Davies looks also set to run Beat The Boys (Brian Hughes), Ballyfitz (David England) and Ollie Magern (Tom Molloy), while Brian Harding will be aboard Knowhere, currently number 44 on the list of contenders, if he makes the cut.
While Twiston-Davies has twice previously won the John Smith’s Grand National - with Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002) - champion trainer Paul Nicholls will be bidding for a first success this year.
He looks set to have four representatives including totesport’s current 15/2 favourite Big Fella Thanks. AON Chase winner Tricky Trickster, last year’s John Smith’s Grand National third My Will and Nozic, who will be partnered by last year’s winning rider Liam Treadwell, complete Nicholls’ team.
The first six home from last year’s John Smith’s Grand National could all line up again on Saturday. As well as the first three, Mon Mome, Comply Or Die and My Will, trainer Evan Williams today confirmed the 2009 fourth-placed State Of Play on course for Saturday, when he could also meet Cerium (fifth in 2009) and Big Fella Thanks (sixth) again.
State Of Play has deliberately been kept fresh for the big race by Williams, having not run since the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on November 29.
“We’ve always been keen to train him with the National in mind and he’s always better after a long break. He’s very, very well. He’s had a great preparation and has not missed a day’s work,” reported Williams.
“It’s always nice to be reasonably weighted but the weight is perhaps the most trivial piece in the jigsaw. Around Aintree I think it’s the luck you need most.
“As long as the ground is good-to-soft we’ve got no worries. It’s the extreme going that will be a cause for concern.”
Another who will be running with full stable confidence after being kept back for the John Smith’s Grand National is the Nick Williams-trained Maljimar, who has not run since December 11.
“We’ve deliberately laid him out for this race,” said Williams.”He needs to be fresh. Last year he ran at the Cheltenham Festival and then Aintree (where he was pulled up) and it didn’t work. The ground is not a problem as long as it’s not heavy because that would test his stamina but that’s not going to happen.”
Williams is also hoping to run his exciting juvenile hurdler Me Voici in Thursday’s Grade 1 Matalan 4-Y-O Novices’ Hurdle.
“Our greater concern is going to be the ground on Thursday for Me Voici, who needs it soft,” added the Devon trainer.
Six of the last 11 John Smith’s Grand National winners were trained in Ireland and 19 of those still remaining in the 2010 race are stabled across the Irish Sea.
Stablemates Vic Venturi and Black Apalachi, respectively winners of the totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree in 2009 and 2008, look among the leading challengers from Ireland.
Meanwhile, trainer Tom Mullins revealed today that Niall Madden - who rode the 2006 John’s Smith’s Grand National winner Numbersixvalverde and has completed the course on all three of his rides - will partner Made In Taipan this year’s contest.
“The horse is in great nick and I’m delighted that we have booked Slippers (Madden) to ride him,” said Mullins.
Comply Or Die is set to be joined in Saturday’s race by stablemate The Package, who is also owned by David Johnson and was a fast-finishing second in the William Hill Trophy Chase at Cheltenham. Both horses schooled at David Pipe’s stable this morning with Timmy Murphy set to decide shortly which of the pair he will ride. Graham Lee will partner the other of the duo.
The 14-time champion jockey Tony McCoy will bid to win his first John Smith’s Grand National at the 15th attempt on Saturday. He is another leaving a decision late on his likely mount, which will either be Can’t Buy Time or Don’t Push It, both trained by Jonjo O’Neill for J P McManus. Richie McLernon will ride partner whichever horse McCoy rejects.
This season’s Welsh National hero Dream Alliance and last season’s Irish Grand National winner Niche Market are among the other leading fancies while Character Building looks set to carry new colours after being bought by David and Patricia Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud, who also bought the 1992 hero Party Politics on the eve of the race.
The latest John Smith’s Grand National betting from totesport: 15/2 Big Fella Thanks, 12 Black Apalachi, Mon Mome, 14 The Package (from 16), 16 Tricky Trickster, 20 Backstage, Character Building, State Of Play, Vic Venturi, 22 Whinstone Boy, 25 Can’t Buy Time, Don’t Push It, 28 Ballyholland (from 33), Chief Dan George, Comply Or Die, Maljimar, 33 Dream Alliance, Irish Raptor, 40 Cloudy Lane, Hello Bud, King Johns Castle, My Will, 50 Abbeybraney, Ballyfitz, Ballytrim, Cerium, Eric’s Charm, Joe Lively, Madison Du Berlais, Officier De Reserve, Palypso De Creek, 66/1 bar. ¼ odds 1-2-3-4. Non runner, no bet.
