Last year’s winner Pic D’Orhy, Ryanair Chase hero Protektorat and Cheltenham Festival absentee Jonbon are among 13 entries for the My Pension Expert Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy was a decisive winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One 12 months ago and has deliberately been saved for the defence of his crown since claiming the notable scalp of L’Homme Presse in the Ascot Chase in February.
Dan Skelton, who is challenging his former mentor for the champion trainer title this season, entered Protektorat for Thursday’s Aintree Bowl over three miles but has also given him the option of sticking to a shorter distance the following day.
Nicky Henderson’s crack two miler Jonbon sidestepped the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham during what was a tough week for the Seven Barrows team and will therefore be fresher than some on what will be his first attempt at this trip.
The Willie Mullins-trained Easy Game, Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, Gordon Elliott’s pair of Ash Tree Meadow and Conflated and the Henry de Bromhead-trained duo of Envoi Allen and Jungle Boogie are all possible challengers from Ireland.
Elixir De Nutz (Joe Tizzard), Funambule Sivola (Venetia Williams), Minella Drama (Donald McCain) and Thunder Rock (Olly Murphy) are the other contenders.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero Slade Steel is the potential star attraction in the Trustatrader Top Novices’ Hurdle.
De Bromhead’s charge is one of 21 contenders for the Grade One contest and part of a formidable Irish contingent that also includes Elliott’s mare Brighterdaysahead and Supreme second Mystical Power, who leads a five-strong Mullins squad.
Caldwell Potter, bought for €740,000 out of Elliott’s yard for an ownership group which includes Sir Alex Ferguson, is pencilled in to make his debut for Nicholls in the same race, while Cheltenham Festival heroine Golden Ace (Jeremy Scott) and unbeaten mare Dysart Enos (Fergal O’Brien) also feature.
The opening Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase is similarly strong, with Grey Dawning (Skelton), Corbetts Cross (Emmet Mullins), Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell) and Chianti Classico (Kim Bailey) all potentially bidding to follow up Cheltenham Festival success.
The fourth and final Grade One on the card is the Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, which features the Albert Bartlett one-two of Stellar Story (Elliott) and The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling).
Il Est Francais lost his unbeaten record over fences after trailing home a bitterly disappointing last of five in the Grade Two Prix Murat at Auteuil.
Trained in France by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the six-year-old was thoroughly impressive in winning his first three starts over the larger obstacles, with back-to-back wins at Auteuil followed by a brilliant front-running victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Connections soon ruled out a return to Britain for the Cheltenham Festival, instead electing to remain on home soil for the time being, with a tilt at next month’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – the French equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup – top of his agenda.
Il Est Francais was unsurprisingly prohibitive odds to make a successful return from just over three months off the track and with the extra mile of the Grand Steep perhaps in mind, James Reveley switched to more patient tactics, initially attempting to settle his mount at the rear of the five-strong field.
The Yorkshireman eventually gave Il Est Francais his head and allowed him to stride in front, but the petrol tank quickly ran to empty on straightening up for home and he had almost stopped to a walk by the time he clambered over the final fence.
Reveley allowed his mount to coast home from there on in as Youtwo Glass narrowly denied the George and Zetterholm second string Gallipoli victory in a driving finish.
Paddy Twomey is likely to have a clearer idea about Deepone’s potential ambitions for the rest of the season after he makes his return in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.
The Study Of Man colt finished off his juvenile campaign in fine style, winning the Group Two Beresford Stakes by a length and threequarters at the Curragh in September, his third success from five starts.
Prior to that, he came home fourth behind Diego Velazquez in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and was runner-up in the Churchill Stakes at Tipperary.
Deepone, who holds big-race entries in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Derby at Epsom, will take a step up in trip on his three-year-old debut for this recognised Classic trial over 10 furlongs, won previously by the likes of Galileo, High Chaparral, Fame And Glory and Harzand.
“He’s wintered well and I think it’s a good place to start,” said Twomey.
“He has a 5lb penalty for his win in the Beresford Stakes last season, but we’re looking forward to running him on Sunday.
“I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths, I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half should be well within his compass.”
Aidan O’Brien has three entries as he goes in search of a 12th Ballysax success, including Illinois, a soft-ground scorer at the Curragh before finishing third behind stablemate Los Angeles in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Ocean Of Dreams made a huge impression on his racecourse debut at this track in October, romping home by six lengths on heavy going, while The Euphrates obliged on his second outing at Gowran Park when the mud was flying.
The field is completed by Dallas Star, with the Amo Racing-owned Zetland Stakes third making his first start for Adrian Murray after moving from the yard of Dominic Ffrench Davis.
Twomey has another promising three-year-old making a seasonal debut on the same card as A Lilac Rolla contests the Group Three Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes.
A filly by Harry Angel, A Lilac Rolla enjoyed a brief but flawless juvenile season, winning on her July debut at Cork before taking a Curragh fillies’ race by a head from Opera Singer the following month.
That form could hardly have worked out better, as Opera Singer went on to win the Group Three Newtownanner Stud Stakes by six and a half lengths and then the elite-level Prix Marcel Boussac by five lengths.
“She had a good year last year, she won her maiden and then she won her next race in good style,” Twomey said.
“She beat a very good filly in Opera Singer, she’s wintered well and is ready to start.
“The ground conditions may not be ideal but she’s in a good place and this is a good starting point for the season ahead.
“It was a good race (the Curragh race), she’s done well all winter and we’re looking forward to getting her started.”
Elsewhere in the seven-furlongs contest, there are four Ballydoyle runners in Buttons, Cherry Blossom, Greenfinch and Sweetest, with Donnacha O’Brien set to saddle Mysteries.
Joseph Murphy has entered Alpheratz, Jim Bolger is represented by Finsceal Luas and the field is completed by Natalia Lupini’s Kitty Rose, Noel Meade’s Money Dancer, Ger Lyons’ Wendla and the Alice Haynes-trained British raider Lexington Belle.
The other Group Three on the card is the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes, which features Aidan O’Brien’s trio of Battle Cry, Samuel Colt and The Liffey, as well as Joseph O’Brien’s course and distance winner Atlantic Coast, plus Jack Davison’s dominant Madrid Handicap winner Take Me To Church.
Sunway will be out to keep Classic dreams alive when he returns to action in the Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
David Menuisier’s colt highlighted his ability right from the beginning of his two-year-old campaign and although fluffing his lines in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot, was back to his best when second in a soft-ground Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September.
He ended the season by striking at the highest level in Saint-Cloud’s Criterium International and it is no surprise the son of Galiway heads back to France for the first outing of his Classic season in the hands of regular big-race pilot Oisin Murphy.
“The horse seems well and he had a stretch of the legs at Kempton the other day and we were very pleased with him,” said Menuisier.
“He’s in a good place for a first run and we will be keeping our fingers crossed.
“It is famous last words, but the ground shouldn’t be an issue. It will be hard on the horses but we feel ours goes on it quite good and the trip shouldn’t be a problem, so we go there quite positive.”
Sunway holds an entry for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May, but Menuisier would like to keep treading a continental path with his star colt, with a return to his homeland for the French Derby at Chantilly high up on the three-year-old’s list of priorities.
“Later down the line, we would like to aim at the Prix du Jockey Club, but we need to take races one by one, obviously,” he added.
“We could drop back in trip to run in one of the Guineas or we could go up in trip to run in a Derby trial next month. It will all depend on what happens this weekend and what Oisin and the owners think – and then we will take it from there.”
There is plenty of British interest in the French capital on Sunday afternoon and Charlie Appleby’s one-time Derby hopeful Military Order will continue his recovery mission in the Prix d’Harcourt.
A winner of three of his first four starts, the son of Frankel was sent off at 9-2 when disappointing at Epsom last summer.
Another failure at Chester followed, but having been gelded over the winter, he has produced two encouraging displays on the all-weather, landing the Winter Derby at Southwell most recently.
Rivals in the 10-furlong Group Two include Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame and Patrice Cottier’s multiple winner and Champion Stakes third Horizon Dore, with Military Order one of two Godolphin candidates alongside Andre Fabre’s Birr Castle.
“Military Order goes into this in good shape on the back of his Winter Derby success,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com.
“Conditions will be testing in Paris, although he handled soft ground at Newbury last season.”
Karl Burke’s Molten Rock will attempt to build on her encouraging third in Newmarket’s Montrose Stakes on her return to action in the Group Three Prix Vanteaux, while both Jack Channon’s Gather Ye Rosebuds and Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Ermesinde will take part in the Listed Prix Zarkava.
Leopardstown’s high-profile meeting on Sunday, due to feature a recognised Derby trial in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, will have to pass a 7.30am inspection if it is to go ahead.
The Group Three contest has thrown up several top-class performers over the years, including three subsequent Epsom winners in Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002) and Harzand (2016).
Leopardstown is also due to stage two other Group Three events in the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes and the Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes, but the prospect of further rain falling on already heavy ground has prompted IHRB clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer to call a morning check.
He said: “Following three millimetres of rain since declarations, the track at Leopardstown is heavy and fit for racing at present.
“According to Met Eireann, there is the potential for a further three to five millimetres of rain throughout today into tomorrow, as well as the high winds associated with Storm Kathleen today.
“Due to the current adverse weather conditions, we will have a 7.30am inspection on Sunday morning to assess the situation.”
Downpatrick’s meeting on Sunday has already been cancelled, while officials at Carlisle have announced a precautionary inspection for 7am ahead of the scheduled final day of the Go North Series Finals.
Saturday’s meeting at Uttoxeter was given the go-ahead following a morning check, but racing at the Curragh was called off due to waterlogging.
Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has been called off, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.
Looking even further ahead, officials at Leicester have announced an inspection for 8am on Tuesday ahead of the track’s scheduled fixture on Friday, with the course currently waterlogged and unraceable.
This afternoon’s National Hunt meeting at Uttoxeter will go ahead as scheduled after the track passed a morning inspection, but racing at the Curragh has been abandoned.
Hopes of any turf racing taking place in Britain on Saturday hinged a second precautionary check at Uttoxeter at 7.30am. An initial inspection was staged at 2pm on Friday and while there was standing water in some areas, the track was described as raceable.
Officials announced a further precautionary inspection for raceday morning and were able to give the fixture the go-ahead.
The news was not so good in Ireland, with a Curragh card due to feature the Group Three Tote.ie Alleged Stakes abandoned due to a waterlogged track.
Brendan Sheridan, the IHRB clerk of the course at the Curragh, said: “Following a further four millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours, unfortunately we have to cancel the fixture scheduled at the Curragh today as parts of the track are just not fit for racing.”
The disruption could continue on Sunday, with meetings at Carlisle and Downpatrick subject to morning inspections at 7am and 7.30am respectively.
Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has already been cancelled, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.
Looking even further ahead, officials at Leicester have announced an inspection for 8am on Tuesday ahead of the track’s scheduled fixture on Friday, with the course currently waterlogged and unraceable.
LSU Head Track Coach Dennis Shaver has bold aspirations for Brianna Lyston, aiming to mold her into a sprinting powerhouse akin to Jamaican legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah. However, he emphasizes the importance of patience as Lyston continues her journey towards greatness.
"My goal over her career here at LSU is to make her an elite 100m sprinter because I think that as a professional track and field athlete, your ability to earn money is better in the hundred than it is being a 200m," he explained.
“But it's still in the early stages. We need to get to where she's just a beast all the time because that's like Shelly Ann, that's like Elaine Thompson. Those people that are just durable and you can always count on them.”
Following Lyston's impressive performance at the Battle of the Bayou, where she clocked a blistering 10.87s (wind 2.6m/s), the fastest time ever recorded for an opener by a collegiate woman under any conditions, Coach Shaver remains optimistic about her development. Despite her recent accolades, the experienced coach stresses the importance of steady progress and physical development, underscoring Lyston's growth in strength since joining LSU.
"In the shorter sprint races, we had her pretty well prepared. She's been accelerating quite well, and her top-end speed, obviously, has always been pretty good. But I think the biggest change for her, in her development at this point, is she's just physically a little stronger than what she was when she came in August," Coach Shaver told Sportsmax.TV in an exclusive interview.
"And I think it's made a big difference this year, her second year here. I was very patient with her last year because I know how talented she is and how important it is that we take good care of her and have her prepared for summertime, too."
In discussing Lyston's aspirations for the upcoming summer, Coach Shaver revealed her goal of securing a spot on Jamaica's Olympic team for Paris. This summer is especially important, and one of Lyston’s goals is to make Jamaica’s team for the Olympic Games in Paris, he shared.
To get on the team, she will have to run faster than she has ever done before. At the Jamaican trials, she will likely face three of the fastest women of all time in Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson, the latter two over 200m as well.
Coach Shaver believes in Lyston's competitive spirit, sharing that she can run lifetime bests later this summer. "I think realistically, I'm more about consistency than what the PR time is. But I think if anybody, as a collegian, can consistently line up and run 10.90 on a fairly regular basis, then when you get towards championship time, or in her case, maybe the Jamaican trials, or maybe if she makes the team with Jamaica to represent in Paris, which is obviously probably one of her goals, is to be able to do that.
“And I think if we can just get the 10.90s on consistent basis, I think we can have her ready to run faster than that when we get to late into the summer.”
Highlighting the importance of patience in Lyston's journey, Coach Shaver emphasized injury prevention and physical development. "That's kind of been our outlook with everybody that's talented like her here at LSU. You know, we've always tried to show patience and give them a chance to mature," he remarked.
"I still think she has room for growth. And I think that's where the patience and the education part of how the training helps you overcome that also, when we're talking about, you know, strength training and so forth.
“She's a little fragile and so we've tried not to do too much with her, and especially last year. And I think now she's physically a little stronger, and I think she's gained confidence about the ability to be able to consistently run fast in more than one race. But, she's got a ways to go yet and I think this is an important season for her.
“This weekend we're competing and she's only going to run a four by one. But when we go to Tom Jones Florida the following week, if the weather's good, which it usually is, I think that'll be her 200m opener. I'm anxious to see what she runs in the 200m in a couple of weeks.”
Ramesh Subasinghe has been tasked with leading the West Indies Men’s Academy into a new era of performance and growth, as he was recently appointed Head coach by Cricket West Indies.
CWI in a release on Friday said Subasinghe's appointment, marks a pivotal step in advancing the organisation's commitment to excellence in cricket development. The former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer was selected following an extensive and meticulous process.
Subasinghe, previously served as Head Coach of the New Zealand Cricket Men’s Development Programme, and the Otago Cricket Associations Pathways Head Coach and Talent Development Manager. He holds an ICC Global Level Three coaching qualification and is a qualified Coach Development with New Zealand Cricket.
Besides his qualifications, Subasinghe has exhibited significant expertise in critical areas including developing and implementing high-performance systems, technical remediations and sports bio-mechanics, team and individual holistic skills development, injury prevention and bowling loads management.
The recruitment process for the Head Coach of the West Indies Men’s Academy attracted significant global interest, as there were 53 applicants for the position. Through a stringent vetting process, 12 candidates were shortlisted, representing diverse cricketing backgrounds and expertise. Ultimately, six individuals hailing from Guyana, Jamaica, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Sri Lanka were identified as finalists, reflecting CWI's dedication to inclusivity and global talent scouting.
Enoch Lewis, CWI Board Director and Chair of Cricket Development & Performance Committee, Miles Bascombe, Director of Cricket, Graeme West, High-Performance Manager and Oneka Martin-Bird, HR Manager, were all part of the selection process and all contributed to a comprehensive assessment of each candidate's qualifications, experience, and vision for cricket development in our region.
Reflecting on the selection process, Bascombe said the unanimous decision of the interview panel, endorsed by the Board of Directors and HR Committee, underscores Subasinghe's exceptional qualifications and suitability for the role of Head Coach of the WI Men’s Academy.
"It was a rigorous and transparent exercise, ensuring that only the most qualified and capable candidates were considered for this position. We were given a clear mandate to choose the best talent at our disposal and we’re confident the most suitable candidate was identified," Bascombe said.
"We are continuously striving to elevate standards at CWI, and I am confident that Ramesh Subasinghe embodies the expertise and leadership necessary to drive our cricket development initiatives forward," he added.
Subasinghe pointed out that he is looking forward to the task.
“Joining CWI presents an incredible opportunity for me to contribute to the organisation's new strategic vision and build on their existing High-Performance programmes, working with their best young cricketers. I look forward to collaborating with the exciting natural talent and the passionate cricketing communities in the West Indies," he noted.
Subasinghe's appointment represents a significant investment in the future of West Indian cricket, as he brings a wealth of technical knowledge, strategic insight, and a passion for player development to the role. His leadership will be instrumental in shaping the next generation of cricketing talent in the region. Subasinghe will officially start on May 1, and will be based full-time at the CWI Headquarters at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Just days after completing a ninth-consecutive Trainers' Championship triumph at Florida’s Gulfstream Park, Barbadian Saffie Joseph Jnr, kicked off the new season with a double on Thursday’s opening day of the Spring/Summer meet.
Joseph won the fourth and sixth races, the richest on the eight-race card. In the US$60,000 Maiden Special Weight fourth race, Joseph’s four-year-old filly Divine won with Edwin Gonzalez aboard as the 3-2 favourite. Joseph completed the double with 2-1 bet Imonra in the US$62,000 Allowance Optional Claiming sixth race with Paco Lopez riding.
The Spring/Summer meet, which Joseph has won for the past four consecutive years since 2020, runs until September 29.
Joseph is currently ranked eighth on the 2024 trainers’ list in all of North America with horses’ earnings of US$3.07 million.
Reflecting on his championship feat which he wrapped up last weekend, Joseph attributed the win to the quality of his team. The 37-year-old ended the campaign with 66 winners and in excess of US $3.4 million in purse earnings, once again ahead of Hall-of-Famer Todd Pletcher, who finished second with 37 winners.
“We’re always trying to get better, and to win a third championship meet in a row was very gratifying for all the work that the staff put in, and that’s what puts me in this position. I have a good team that works hard and we try to do it together. And the owners that supply these horses, the horses are the backbone and the big piece of the puzzle," Joseph said.
“We’ve got quality and we’ve got quantity, and that’s what you need to win titles and to stay relevant in today’s industry. You’ve got to keep winning. That’s what people want," he added.
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington has expressed her delight at the positive response to this week’s new HorsePWR campaign relating to welfare in racing.
Encouraging feedback has flooded in from various sectors of the sport, with trainers, jockeys, breeders, owners and media representatives welcoming the initiative.
HorsePWR has its own dedicated website to provide information about the sport and the thoroughbred, the lives they lead and the high welfare and safety standards within racing.
In a statement on www.horsepwr.co.uk, Harrington said: “The response to our HorsePWR campaign is unprecedented for racing. For the industry to rally behind this cause with such full-throated support is immensely heartening.
“We deliberately took a bold and innovative approach to tackling welfare concerns fully aware that it carried a risk of a negative response in some quarters.
“But the way the sport has readily embraced this new concept shows just how much everyone in it recognises that perceptions around welfare are a critical issue for our future.
“It also shows that we recognise the need to be open, transparent and to tackle welfare concerns head-on.
“We should have confidence in what we do and understand that it is through education and information that we will build trust in the sport.
“We are extremely grateful to all the organisations and individuals who have supported the campaign.
“This is just the start and it is important to recognise that the impact campaigns have should never be judged on one day alone.
“We want to grow the campaign and use it to reach wider audiences. We also call on the sport to continue to promote and support the campaign as much as possible. It is in everyone’s best interest to do so.”
The website explores the areas that racing has committed to improve, such as the lives horses go on to have after racing, reducing risk on and off course and facts surrounding the whip.
Following the non-selection of Guyanese Ashmini Munisar, Plaffiana Millington and Shabika Gajnabi, top performers in the recently concluded CWI Blaze T20 and Super50 Cup tournaments, for the West Indies Women’s upcoming tour of Pakistan, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is questioning Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) criteria/measuring stick used for selection.
Munisar, Millington and Gajnabi were among the leading performers in the recent CWI Women's Super50 and T20 Blaze tournaments, either with bat, ball or both, but were somehow overlooked ahead of the Pakistan tour.
CWI released their 15-member squad ahead of the upcoming eight-match Series which bowls off April 6 in Pakistan, with Guyana skipper Shemaine Campbelle being named vice-captain and all-rounder Cherry-Ann Fraser, the only Guyanese in the team.
“The non-inclusion of Munisar, Millington and Gajnabi comes as a shock, as the trio played outstanding cricket throughout,” the board expressed in a statement on social media on Thursday.
In the batting department, Guyana had 3 players in the top five run scorers for the T20 Blaze, with Gajnabi, Campbell and Mandy Mangru occupying spots 2, 3 and 5 respectively.
Gajnabi, a regular face in the Windies Women's team, finished as the second leading run-scorer overall in the T20 Blaze and top run-getter for Guyana, with 138 runs at an average of 34 and a top score of 52.
Campbell, who was selected for Pakistan, ended as the 3rd leading scorer behind Gajnabi, with an aggregate of 128 runs, also ended with the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper (6).
In Women's Super50 Cup, Munisar finished as the leading wicket-taker with 12 victims and a best of 5-15, which was also the best figures of the Super50 by any bowler.
She was followed by countrywoman Niya Latchman who was the next best wicket-taker in the 50-Overs with 11 wickets, as the latter also had a selection-warranted season with the ball.
The Guyanese trio statistically outplayed almost all of the other selectees for the upcoming tour, with the non-selection of three premier performers in both the T20 and Super50 now being questioned by the GCB.
Intinso will bid to follow up his successful comeback when lining up in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Rosebery Handicap at Kempton.
Connections had high expectations for the John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old at the beginning of last season, starting his year off in the Feilden Stakes after a successful debut on the synthetics at Newcastle late on during his juvenile days.
Although he failed to add to his tally at three, he produced some encouraging displays and, having been gelded over the winter, the son of Siyouni impressed on his return at Wolverhampton last month.
Hopes are now raised that Intinso can continue on an upward curve and provide his Clarehaven training team with a first triumph in the £100,000 contest.
“He’s been in good form and he made a nice comfortable comeback win after being gelded,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner-breeder Imad Alsagar
“He has always actually been held in quite high regard by John and he’s been very straightforward moving into the race. This will be a major test, but he ran really well at York and in the Shergar Cup.
“We know he can handle the surface and we’re looking for a good run. Hopefully he will develop into a nice staying horse.”
Intinso is disputing matters at the top of the market with Andrew Balding’s Old Harrovian, who created a taking impression on the all-weather last spring before going on to run in Group Three company.
He returns from almost a year off with Oisin Murphy in the saddle, while Ed Bethell is optimistic Chillingham can build on a consistent 2023 campaign.
He said: “Hopefully he will run well. Dropping back a furlong wouldn’t be the best thing, but we have our fingers crossed he can run a nice race.
“He’s been a decent horse and danced a few dances now. Hopefully he’s freshened up over the winter and we can have a good season with him.”
Cannon Rock looked a stayer on the rise when breaking his maiden in good style at Newmarket two years ago.
Purchased out of Charlie Appleby’s yard by James Owen since, he has been seen just the once in the following 535 days, returning from a long lay-off to win readily at Southwell last month.
The Fastnet Rock gelding now faces an acid test of his potential, as he attempts to back up that Rolleston victory and provide his handler with a notable feather in his cap early on in his bourgeoning training career.
“He was bought to go juvenile hurdling actually, but he is just not a soft ground horse basically, so we’ve been waiting and waiting,” said Owen.
“We ran him at Southwell and he did surprise us a little bit. He had won a Newmarket maiden and then met with a setback which allowed us to buy him. He is all over that now, which he proved at Southwell, and he’s trained great since and worked very well.
“This is probably throwing him in at the deep end a little bit but it’s very good prize-money and I think this will show us where we are.
“He’s been drawn really well and we’ve put the cheekpieces back on him basically to help him be a bit more streetwise. They were on him when he won his maiden and I just thought we’d put them on, as it’s a really good prize and we want to give it our best chance.
“He’s fit and ready to go and I think he could run a massive race – he shows a lot of ability at home.”
Meanwhile, George Baker is hoping the Swiss air of St. Moritz can help Cemhaan produce his best, with the highest-rated runner in the field twice a winner in the past at the Sunbury venue.
A regular in these high-quality middle-distance events, his handler is now looking forward to what he can produce as he continues to fly the flag for his stable.
“He’s been a star for us and he actually had an aborted trip to St. Moritz recently, but he has come back off the mountain in good form and we are very happy with him,” said Baker.
“Sadly, the racing didn’t happen up the mountain, so he went all the way over there, had a bit of fresh air and came home. He’s going from the snow to the all-weather but he’s got plenty of decent form on the surface and we have our fingers firmly crossed he runs a big race for us.
“It’s obviously a hugely competitive race and he’s got a lot of weight as well, but he’s in good order and we’re looking forward to it.”
William Haggas’ Mystic Pearl has another Listed strike in her sights in the Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes at Kempton.
The four-year-old was a winner at this level in the Coral Distaff at Sandown last year and after a Group Three placing in the Prix de Lieurey at Deauville, she headed out to Dubai for the winter.
There she was sixth in the Cape Verdi and fourth in the Balanchine, both at Group Two level, and now she steps back down in grade to start her domestic campaign on the all-weather.
“She’s back in a Listed race, like the one she won at Sandown,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager for owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum.
“The two races she ran in out in Meydan were both Group Twos, so we’re dropping back down in class. She worked very nicely last week, so we’re very hopeful.
“She will give a good account of herself I think, and they don’t always act when they go out there (Dubai), they either do or they don’t. I don’t think she was at her best out there, but she worked nicely the other morning anyway.”
James Ferguson’s Many Tears makes a first start for her new stable in the contest after leaving Ger Lyons on a high note.
For Lyons, she was a Listed winner at Dundalk in November when taking the Cooley Fillies Stakes, a victory that leaves her shouldering a penalty at Kempton.
Ferguson said: “She’s in great form and won a Listed race with Ger Lyons, so carries a penalty, but she seems to be training well and this is only the start of her year, so we’re hoping she runs big and we have then got the whole year ahead of us.
“She’s a nice filly and was bought by the Cunninghams to try and get some more black type in Europe, with the eventual plan to maybe be covered and then go down to Australia.”
Ferguson has another contender in the race in Mother Mary, whereas the only Irish challenger is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Adelaise.
Only beaten three-quarters of a length in the Prix Dahlia at Saint-Cloud and then two lengths in the Prix Casimir Delamarre at Longchamp, both Listed races, Adelaise is looking to gain some black type form in the Snowdrop.
O’Brien said: “She’s been a progressive filly for us last season and she has stayed in training with the hope of achieving some black type. This looks a logical starting point for her.”
Simon and Ed Crisford run Choisya in the race, a Night Of Thunder filly last seen winning over course and distance in a handicap ahead of Roger Varian’s Julia Augusta, who reopposes.
Philip McBride’s Zouky, David Menuisier’s Mysterious Love, Gemma Tutty’s in-form Enola Grey and Ed Walker’s Rose Prick complete the field of 10.
It is hard to mention the Grand National without the name McCain following close behind and 20 years ago the race’s most famous family wrote their name into the Aintree record books for a fourth time thanks to Amberleigh House.
Ginger McCain was arguably the man who helped shape the destiny of the world’s most great steeplechase, with his charismatic personality and masterful handling of the great Red Rum breathing life into the marathon event at a time when many questioned its existence.
McCain had already tasted National glory on three occasions with the legendary Red Rum by the time Amberleigh House set about trying to conquer Aintree, but it had been over 30 years since the horse that had defined the Southport handler’s training career had first etched his name onto the Grand National’s roll of honour.
The McCain family of course had heard every tale possible about Red Rum, but Amberleigh House – who was very much a part of the family and had a love of Aintree befitting of a firm McCain favourite – would cement his decorated trainer’s legacy and give Ginger’s son Donald just a glimpse of how the halcyon days of Red Rum may have been.
“I remember everything about that day and we were all very involved with Amberleigh,” said Donald McCain.
“I rode him out every day and my wife looked after him every day.
“It was great for dad because everyone called him a one-horse trainer. He was never bothered by it because he would say ‘what a great job I made of that one’.
“We had one good horse in the yard at the time and a lot of time and investment went into him and it meant an awful lot to all of us. We made the best job of him we could.”
Amberleigh House would be one of Ginger McCain’s final runners in the Grand National before he passed the baton over to son Donald in 2006 and although the younger McCain would go on to win the Grand National himself with Ballabriggs in 2011, it is still that 2004 triumph that sticks in the forefront of his memory.
He added: “It was quite surreal and it was literally from the elbow where it all happened so it wasn’t a very long period of time, but it was just very, very special.
“For us as a family, we grew up around a retired Red Rum but weren’t around when he was winning and to get to feel a bit of that was very special and to this day it would be the best day I’ve had in racing, even better than the day I won it with Ballabriggs.
“There was a McCain way but that is probably gone now to be honest. We knew what an Aintree horse was and how to get one ready for Aintree and train them for that one day. But things have changed so far now that I don’t think that even comes into it the same now.”
Amberleigh House competed round the famous fences on 11 occasions failing to complete only twice – when brought down in his first crack at the big race in 2001 and when pulled-up on his final start before retirement in 2006.
He was ridden for the majority of those assignments by Graham Lee, the crack jump jockey turned Flat pilot who formed a dynamic partnership with the foot-perfect stayer.
The 20-year anniversary of the duo’s finest hour comes poignantly at a time when Lee is recovering from the life-changing injuries suffered in a fall at Newcastle last November and there is little doubt about Lee’s importance to the Amberleigh House story.
“Graham was a very high-class jump jockey and what has happened to him is very sad,” continued McCain.
“We all think about him all the time and he managed to carve a second career on the Flat, but he was a very good jump jockey, one of the best around.
“He was a big part of Amberleigh House and they were made for each other, they were a pleasure to watch together the pair of them.”
With Amberleigh House and Lee’s biggest day still to come, it was the pair’s defeat at the hands of Clan Royal in that season’s Becher Chase that proved instrumental to Grand National glory, helping shape riding plans for the big race itself a few months later.
“I think losing that Becher Chase won us the National and I think Graham would say the same,” said McCain.
“He got beat a short head in the Becher Chase that season by Clan Royal and it was the shortest of short heads.
“If you looked at Clan Royal he was twice as big as old Amberleigh and we were distraught to be honest. They were ding dong from the top of the straight and the two of them came clear and it was a fantastic finish.
“To be honest losing that I think helped us win a Grand National as I had a good talk with Graham and we decided Amberleigh only had one little burst of acceleration in him and there was a general consensus that sounds cocky now, but don’t hit the front until the elbow.
“If you watched Graham a few years later he tried to do the same on a horse of Ferdy Murphy’s who just didn’t stay. He arrived at the last with a chance on Big Fella Thanks in Ballabriggs’ year and tried to do a very similar thing with him.”
It was Becher adversary Clan Royal that was sent off the 10-1 co-favourite for the 2004 Grand National with Amberleigh House 16-1 in the market.
Jonjo O’Neill’s charge looked to be in the process of obliging favourite-backers when jumping to the lead two out, with Amberleigh House still having plenty to do among those still attempting to complete the course.
A repeat of the previous year’s third seemed the best Amberleigh House could hope for, but the complexion of the contest was about to change, with Clan Royal and Martin Pipe’s Lord Atterbury running out of steam and Lee executing the McCain plan to perfection as Amberleigh House and his trademark white noseband closed the gap on the lung-busting run to the line.
“I think he was fourth from the back of the Canal Turn and you’re looking behind to see if something was going to come and do him for fourth and then I just thought at the second-last he was staying on but just took two more strides to jump it,” explained McCain.
“If he had jumped it two strides sooner I would have thought we had a real chance and then Hedgehunter fell at the last and I thought ‘we’re going to be third again in the Grand National’.
“Then halfway up the run-in everything changed, it was the most amazing day.
“There was only one man who would ever know how confident he was and that was Graham himself. But it was a case of we didn’t want to get there too soon and the one thing I can imagine is he would have been getting the most wonderful ride off him, as you will never see another horse jump Aintree better than Amberleigh House – and I mean the old Aintree, not the one we’re on about now.”
It was a case of third-time lucky for Amberleigh House and a National win that McCain thought had maybe passed the horse by after his gallant third to Monty’s Pass 12 months prior to his glorious afternoon on Merseyside.
However, the pint-sized National hero would keep coming back for more of the famous spruce, never letting his side down when faced with the challenge of the National fences.
“The year before he was third in the race he was very tired afterwards, he was absolutely drunk and we had to take him away out of the winner’s enclosure,” said McCain.
“You kind of wondered if that was his chance of winning the Grand National gone. He didn’t know where he was for about 20 minutes so it is to his credit he came back and he just loved the place.
“He was just the most amazing little horse and Amberleigh was so good to jump round there, he was as good as you ever see. You never really didn’t expect him to get round which was a fairly big thing at the old Aintree. He was only 15’2 and half an inch but as good a jumper as you would ever see – he was just so good round there.”
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