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Mullins hits 100 mark in record time.
Willie Mullins trained his 100th winner for the season in record time when his representative Soll took victory at Down Royal this afternoon.
The top Irish trainer is going from strength to strength, and today's landmark 100th winner surpassed the previous timing record - which was also held by Willie Mullins.
The victory was not unexpected, with Soll being sent off as the 2-5 race favourite to go one better than his seasonal debut second at Punchestown on New Year's Eve.
Running in the NI Hotels Federation Beginners Chase, Soll was sent straight into the lead by Ruby Walsh, and the giant seven-year-old proved too good for his rivals, eventually coming home four and a half lengths in front of runner-up Harpsy Cord.
Speaking after the race, a delighted Willie Mullins said:
"It was grand to hit the landmark in record time, and it is due to the great horses we have in the yard this season, and I just hope they can all stay healthy until the end of the season.
"Soll will almost certainly go to Cheltenham, and I would be looking at the 4 mile National Hunt Chase with him."
Towcester Abandon Thursday Meeting.
Towcester's scheduled national hunt card for Thursday afternoon has already been abandoned due to a frozen track.
Clerk of the Course Robert Bellamy made an early decision to call off the meeting, as there appears to be no hope of the track being fit to stage racing on Thursday afternoon.
Explaining the reasons behind his decision, Bellamy said:
"We were raceable yesterday, but temperatures dropped lower than expected overnight, and it is currently -2c, with a wind chill of -4c. It is forecast to fall to -3c tonight with a wind chill of -9c.
"Tomorrow it is forecast to be -1c with a wind chill of -4c, so there is no chance of us being fit to race."
Chepstow to check on Thursday.
Chepstow's proposed Friday afternoon national hunt card is subject to a precautionary inspection at 1.30 pm on Thursday.
Although the course is covered with anti frost material, parts of the track are already frozen under the covers, and with temperatures tonight due to drop even further than last night, Clerk of the Course Keith Otteson has called an early check, and said:
"It is already a bit frosty under the covers, and the important think to point out is it has been constantly freezing since 9.30 pm last night. We have covered the track, and we want to give it every chance, but a precautionary inspection at 1.30 pm tomorrow will give us a good idea as to where we stand."
High class field announced for Aintree Grand National.
Many of the best chasers in training are among the entries announced today for the 2012 running of the world’s most famous Jump race, the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree.
This year’s contest, taking place on Saturday, April 14, has record prize money of £975,000 and among those engaged are Synchronised (16-1 co-favourite with Betfred), a runaway winner of the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, Weird Al, who captured the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October, and Midnight Chase, successful in the Grade Two Argento Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Past Aintree form is understandably well represented and the 2011 winner, Weird Al’s stablemate Ballabriggs (16-1 co-favourite with Betfred), is one of two previous John Smith’s Grand National heroes in the field along with Mon Mome, who sprang a 100-1 surprise in 2009.
No less than 31 of the 82 entries are trained in Ireland and the country’s champion trainer Willie Mullins, successful in the 2005 John Smith’s Grand National with Hedgehunter, accounts for 12 of those including Apt Approach, winner of the Grade Two Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles on January 19.
On His Own, a facile winner of the Goffs Thyestes Chase on January 26, Quel Esprit, who captured the Grade Three Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase at Thurles on January 7, and The Midnight Club, who finished sixth when sent off favourite for last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, are also among the Mullins dozen.
County Clare handler Noel Glynn is hoping that Becauseicouldntsee, (33-1 with Betfred) who fell at the second fence in last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, can fare considerably better in this year’s contest over the standard tough test of four and a half miles and 30 fences.
The nine-year-old is set to run in the National Trial at Punchestown on Sunday as a stepping stone to Aintree, and an optimistic Glynn reported:
“The John Smith’s Grand National is the plan again for Becauseicouldntsee and I hope that we get a bit further than last year!
“Hopefully, he will run in the National Trial at Punchestown on Sunday and we will take it from there.
“For such a good jumper, he had two nasty falls last year including at Leopardstown over Christmas, when he would have been there or thereabouts. He hurt his hip during that race but it’s all sorted now and he is moving good.
“I am just a little afraid that those falls might have affected him mentally, so I am just hoping that he can post a clear round on Sunday to get his confidence back.
“He had no sort of preparation for Aintree last season after suffering a cut leg and we would love to get him back there.”
Other Irish-trained entries include the Shark Hanlon-trained Alfa Beat, who was bought for £75,000 in May by America’s champion Jump owner Irv Naylor as a John Smith’s Grand National prospect. The eight-year-old won the Kerry National at Listowel in September.
The Arthur Moore-trained Organisedconfusion won the 2011 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, while the rapidly-improving Seabass, winner of the Grade A Leopardstown Handicap Chase on Saturday, has been entered by trainer Ted Walsh, who landed the 2000 John Smith’s Grand National with Papillon.
Somerset-based handler David Pipe won the 2008 John Smith’s Grand National with Comply Or Die and he is responsible for Junior (16/1 co-favourite with Betfred), who missed the cut for last year’s contest.
The Henrietta Knight-trained Calgary Bay and Shakalakaboomboom from Nicky Henderson’s stable are a progressive duo who filled the first two places in Saturday’s Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.
Hold On Julio, a late withdrawal from the Sky Bet Chase, has easily won both his starts for trainer Alan King, who has also engaged West End Rocker, winner of the Betfred Becher Chase over the National fences at Aintree on December 3.
Others with winning form over the National fences include Always Waining, winner of the John Smith’s Topham Chase in 2010 and 2011, and Stewarts House, winner of the Betfred Grand Sefton Handicap Chase in December.
Le Beau Bai, winner of the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27, has been engaged along with Giles Cross and the Evan Williams-trained Cappa Bleu, who respectively finished second and third in the race. Cappa Bleu’s stablemate State Of Play, who has respectively finished fourth, third and fourth in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 John Smith’s Grand Nationals, is on course to appear again at Aintree this year.
Meanwhile, high-class hunter-chaser Roulez Cool, owned, trained and bred by Robert Waley-Cohen and ridden by his son Sam, could carry the colours of last year’s runner-up Oscar Time.
The 2012 John Smith’s Grand National will be the first renewal since entry requirements were tightened. Only horses aged seven or above can now compete and every runner must have been placed in the first four of a chase of three miles or more by March 20 and be rated 120 or above.
A maximum field of 40 looks assured again for this year’s race with all of the runners likely to be in the handicap.
Wade hoping to bring National prize to Durham for a second time.
JOHN WADE is hoping that he can become the first Durham-based trainersince Norman Mason to win the John Smith's Grand National with Always Right, who is a 20-1 chance with Paddy Power after the entries were revealed today - Mason having achieved the feat with Red Marauder in 2001.
The 10-year-old was third in last year's Scottish Grand National before starting off the current campaign with a game victory in a handicap chase at Kelso in December, when he was two and a quarter lengths too powerful for Skippers Brig. He was then sent off favourite for the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day, when he appeared beaten four from home prior to pulling up before the next fence.
Wade, who trains around 60 horses out of Mordon in County Durham and was quite friendly with Arthur Stephenson, having his first horses with him, before his own training operation grew from there, has been assisted for 27 years by Maria Myco, who said today:
“Always Right wasn't himself at Wetherby and then he gave a dirty scope two weeks' ago when he was breathing heavily.
“It's to the point that he's been on powders although there is no infection and we don't quite know but it could be an allergy. To be fair we've done nothing with him since Wetherby, he's just ticking over, but he's back on track and we'll definitely be able to get him ready for the National once we've treated him, and I’d say he's back in good form now.”
Connections are hoping to get one more run into the Right Win gelding prior to Aintree, and although they know his strengths, and that they have a high-class horse on their hands, they are entering new waters as far as the Grand National is concerned, with Myco adding:
“We'd like to give him another run and he probably will have an entry for the Grand National Trial at Haydock [on February 18] although that could come too soon or he might go again for the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster [on March 3] which he won last year.
“It was superb at Kelso when we weren't too sure that he was 100% and it was really nice and he did it easy. He has won over all distances – two and a half miles, three, and three and a quarter – and he has got speed for shorter trips.
“ He also goes on any ground but he likes it heavy, the heavier the better, and the only thing he wouldn't like is firm. He certainly can go the distance and his jumping is not too bad, but we've not had anything eligible for the Grand National before. It's reasonable to say that he would be the best we've had, although we've had some good horses, but nothing outstanding like him.”
Carruthers a possible for Denman Chase.
Connections of Carruthers have indicated he could be back in racing action on Saturday week after escaping serious injury in the Coral Welsh National on 27 December.
The Hennessy Gold Cup winner suffered a bad gash to his rear leg during the Chepstow Christmas highlight, and the gelding had to have several stitches after being badly struck into during the Welsh marathon chase.
Trained by Mark Bradstock, and bred and owned by Lord John Oaksey, the nine-year-old was impressive when making all to win the Hennessy at Newbury in November, and connections are hopeful their charge will be able to get back into racing action in the Betfair Denman Chase run at the Berkshire track on Saturday week.
Mark Bradstock’s wife and assistant trainer, Sara, said:
“He’s okay now, but we were extremely lucky after he was struck into during a melee at the first bend at Chepstow. A centimetre either way could have caused structural damage, and that would have been fatal, but either way, it was nasty and through to the bone. I think that went a long way to explaining his run, as he hated being stuck in the middle of the bunch, but to be fair, he was lacking power in one of his back legs. In fact going a full circuit doing that has been an extra burden on his hamstring, and while its not bad, and he’s not lame, it did cause him a tweak.
“He gives his all, so he has to be perfect to run. He’s back in full training, and the plan is to run at Newbury, but whether he’ll make it there, we don’t know at this stage, and we’ll assess how he is at the end of the week.”
Big two to fight it out in Cottage.
The last two winners of the Queen Mother Champion Chase – Big Zeb 2010, and Sizing Europe 2011 – will race against each other in this weekend’s Grade One boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown, and which ever one comes out on top is certain to go off as a short priced favourite for this year’s running of the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
However, the respective trainers of the big two have voiced their concerns over the potential heavy ground for Sunday’s contest, with Big Zeb’s handler Colm Murphy commenting:
“Preparations are going very well, but ideally we would need better ground for Sunday’s race at Punchestown, but we’ve decided we’re going to stick to the same plan as last year. He’ll run on Sunday, and then it will be off to Cheltenham, and then back for the boylesports.com Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival, all going well.
“Big Zeb is now an eleven-year-old, but he can’t count, so we’re alright on that front.”
Analysing the form of his own charge, including his fine win in the Tingle Creek Chase, Henry de Bromhead spoke about Sizing Europe’s chances by saying:
“Sizing is in fine form, and we were delighted with his Tingle Creek run, particularly as it is a true 2 mile test. We’d prefer better ground on Sunday, but we’ve decided to stick to the same route as last season.”
Although Sizing Europe defeated Big Zeb at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, Colm Murphy’s charge reversed the placings when the two met at Punchestown last May, so who ever wins on Sunday, may not necessarily be victorious at Cheltenham next month.
Seven to face Binocular at Sandown.
Binocular will face a maximum of 7 rivals in the Betfred double Delight Contenders Hurdle at Sandown this coming Saturday.
Nicky Henderson’s charge won the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle in 2010, but was forced to miss out on defending his title in 2011, and while he has won Saturday’s Sandown contest for the last two seasons at prohibitive odds of 1-7 and 1-10 respectively, he has been unconvincing on both occasions.
The seven-year-old was also unconvincing at the back end of last season, and was no match for Overturn in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle when starting his current campaign, but Binocular bounced back to his best when winning the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on 26 December, and he will certainly be a short-priced favourite once again for Saturday’s contest.
Main opposition could come from Alan Fleming’s former inmate Starluck, who is now with David Arbuthnot, but the former smart hurdler also has an entry in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las the same day, and connections may prefer him to make his come-back at the South Wales track rather than Sandown.
Local Hero, who was a smart juvenile last season for Steve Gollings, could make his seasonal debut against Binocular. While the connections of Clerk’s Choice will be looking for an improvement on his two previous runs this season while in the care of Oliver Sherwood.
However, if Starluck fails to run at Sandown, the Donald McCain-trained Desert Cry, who was second to Celestial Halo in the Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial, could give Binocular the most to do.
The current field for the Contenders Hurdle is then completed by Zanir, Nampour, and Dark and Dangerous.
On the same Sandown card is the Betfred Goals Galore Challengers Novices Chase, the Grade One contest perhaps better known by its former name of the Scilly Isles Novices Chase.
The race was re-opened to entries, and the current 8 runners would seem to be headed in terms of results by Crystal Bonus, who trotted up by 25 lengths on his seasonal debut at Chepstow following his transfer to Paul Nicholls from Evan Williams.
Crystal Bonus also has big race entries in the Arkle Trophy, the Jewson Novices Chase, and the RSA Novices Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and he is obviously held in high regard by connections.
However, For Non Stop, who also has entries in the Arkle and Jewson at Cheltenham, has some excellent form this season, having been second in successive races behind Cue Card and Al Ferof, and trainer Nick Williams is reported to be very happy with his charge ahead of his intended run at Sandown.
Completing the current 8 strong line-up are: Mossley, Baile Anrai, Bold Sir Brian, Golan Guy, Mad Moose, and Lancetto.
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