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Synchronised heads Grand National weights.
Outstanding Grade One Lexus Chase winner Synchronised, owned by J P McManus and trained by Jonjo O'Neill, has been allotted top-weight of 11st 10lb for this year's John Smith's Grand National, which takes place over four and a half miles and 30 fences at Aintree on Saturday, April 14.
The weights were revealed today for Jump racing's most famous event at the official John Smith's Grand National Launch in London and the competitiveness of this year's race is illustrated by the fact that 69 of the 82 entries (84 per cent) are in the handicap.
The John Smith's Grand National, which has record prize money of £975,000 this year, is the only race of the year for which the weights are specially framed by the British Horseracing Authority's Head of Handicapping, Phil Smith.
Ballabriggs, who carried 11st to victory in 2011 for owner Trevor Hemmings, trainer Donald McCain and jockey Jason Maguire, is second in the weights with 11st 9lb this year.
Synchronised and Ballabriggs are currently the joint 16-1 second favourites with Betfred, the betting partner of the John Smith's Grand National meeting.
Mon Mome, who sprang a 100-1 surprise in the 2009 John Smith's Grand National, is the other past winner among the entries. He carried 11st when winning three years ago, 11st 7lb when falling at the 26th in 2010 and this year has been given 10st 8lb (and is 40-1 with Betfred).
Irish-trained raiders have a tremendous recent record in the John Smith's Grand National, winning six of the last 13 runnings, and they have strength in numbers this year, accounting for 31 entries. An Irish-trained winner is priced at 11-4 by Betfred.
Ireland's champion trainer Willie Mullins, successful in the 2005 National with ownner Trevor Hemmings' first winner Hedgehunter, accounts for no less than 12 of those 31 and among his leading contenders are 20-1 chance Quel Esprit, who has a weight of 11st 7lb following his victory in the Grade One Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday. While Stablemate On His Own (20-1), winner of the Thyestes Chase for owners Graham and Andrea Wylie, has 10st 11lb, and Blazing Tempo (40-1), the only mare entered, will have to overcome 11st 4lb after winning the Grade Two Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse on January 22.
Apt Approach (25-1) has 11st 1lb on the back of his Grade Two Kinloch Brae Chase victory last month, while Scotsirish (11st 2lb & 50-1) and Prince De Beauchene (10st 6lb & 20-1) are two others of Mullins' formidable dozen.
Many of the leading contenders in Betfred's betting are set to carry 11 stone or above including Ballabriggs’ stable companion Weird Al (11st 8lb & 33-1), who captured the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October, and Midnight Chase (11st 8lb & 20-1), owned by Lady Clarke and trained by Neil Mulholland, who was successful in the Grade Two Argento Chase at Cheltenham last month.
The David Pipe-trained Junior, the 14-1 market leader with Betfred, failed to get in the field last year but has a certain place in 2012 with 11st 2lb.
The Henrietta Knight-trained Calgary Bay (25-1), winner of the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster last month, has been given 11st 6lb, while the runner-up that day, Shakalakaboomboom (25-1), has 10st 12lb as he bids to give trainer Nicky Henderson a first victory in the John Smith's Grand National.
Henderson also has the lightly-raced Burton Port (11st 7lb & 25-1), another owned by Trevor Hemmings, and Quantitativeeasing (11st 2lb & 33-1) for owner J P McManus.
The rapidly-improving Hold On Julio (25-1), who has won both his starts for trainer Alan King, has been given 10st 7lb, while his stablemate West End Rocker (20-1), winner of the Betfred Becher Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree on December 3, has a weight of 10st 12lb.
High-class hunter-chaser Roulez Cool (25-1), owned, trained and bred by Robert Waley-Cohen and ridden by his son Sam, who finished second on Oscar Time last year, has been allotted 10st 5lb.
Evan Williams has strong representation with his three entries, led by State Of Play (10st 3lb & 33-1) who has run in the John Smith's Grand National for the last three years and finished fourth, third and fourth. His owners, Angela and William Rucker, also have the fancied Cappa Bleu (10st 10lb & 25-1), while the Welsh trainer's third possible representative is Deep Purple (11st 3lb & 25-1).
Julian Thick, Managing Director at Aintree Racecourse, commented:
"It is tremendous to see 69 of the 82 entries in the handicap and the 2012 renewal of the John Smith's Grand National promises to be a race full of quality on Saturday, April 14, with a higher percentage of horses rated over 135 than ever before."
The two scratchings deadlines for the 2012 John Smith's Grand National are on February 28 and March 20, with the five-day confirmation stage on April 9.
The final declaration stage is at 10am on April 12 when there can be a maximum field of 40 runners, with the provision for up to four reserves.
Simonsig faces interesting test at Kelso.
Supreme Novices Hurdle ante-post favourite Simonsig faces five rivals when he lines up in Wednesday’s Grade Two Bet Victor Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso.
Nicky Henderson’s grey has not been seen on a racecourse since giving Finjal Bay a scare at Sandown in December, but based on the amount of support he is enjoying in the Supreme Novices Hurdle market, he has obviously been impressing at home.
With his trainer now keen to give his charge a run before Cheltenham, and with the recent weather having cut down the number of options open to Simonsig, the former point-to-point winner will undertake the long round trip from Lambourn to Kelso for tomorrow’s contest, with Henderson explaining:
“There are virtually no races left for him, and I want him to run before Cheltenham, so the trip for this race makes sense.”
As a novice, Simonsig faces some tough experienced opposition in the Morebattle Hurdle, none more so than George Charlton’s dual purpose high class performer Knockara Beau.
The tough staying hurdler was not disgraced on his last run behind Midnight Chase over fences, but George feels the Morebattle is the right option to prepare his charge for Cheltenham, with the handler revealing:
“The course is local to the owners, and I thought it was a good option. It will give him a good spin before Cheltenham, and while it is only two and a quarter miles, with the frost and everything, it is going to be tacky ground, so it will be a real test.
“We had the option of going to Haydock on Saturday for the 3 mile hurdle, but I don’t want to give him a hard race on heavy ground so clost to Cheltenham. We’ll get tomorrow out of the way, and then make our plans for Cheltenham.”
Brian Ellison’s Marsh Warbler was a Grade One winner as a juvenile, and technically, he is rated higher than Simonsig, and he may well get the testing conditions he prefers in Wednesday’s contest.
Local Hero looked useful for Steve Gollings last season, but he could only finish fifth when raised in class behind Zarkandar on his last racecourse outing at Aintree in April 2011.
The two remaining runners tomorrow are the John Wade-trained Little Hercules, and Mike Smith’s Orsippus.
Duke shines in Southwell spin.
John Quinn confirmed he was delighted after watching his UAE Derby hope Red Duke undertake a gallop at Southwell today.
Last season’s Superlative Stakes winner will be Quinn’s first runner at Meydan racecourse in Dubai, and while he failed to score on his last run of the 2011 campaign in the Dewhurst Stakes, he was only just 4 lengths behind the winner of that Grade One contest, and the Malton handler has high hopes ahead of Red Duke’s intended run in the UAE Derby, with Quinn commenting:
“We took him to Southwell today, and he worked well with a lead horse over a mile. We’re going to Dubai with him, and I want all his serious work done before we go over there. Then when we get to Dubai, it will be a case of ticking over with him.
“The intention is to run in the UAE Derby, and he’ll be my first runner at Meydan.”
Squadron set to fly home on Friday.
Having already seen off subsequent winner Montbazon when winning at Newbury in December, Colour Squadron is set to seek a second victory at the Berkshire track on Friday.
The Philip Hobbs-trained progressive novice followed up his Newbury success with a short head defeat behind Captain Conan in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, and while the winner let the form down by disappointing at Leopardstown at the weekend, some of the other form from the Tolworth Hurdle gives Colour Squadron a big chance in Friday’s re-arranged Betfair Meeting at Newbury, and Hobbs hopes this proves to be the case, as he is preparing his charge for a crack at the Supreme Novices Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
Speaking about Colour Squadron with ATR, Hobbs said:
“Richard Johnson has schooled him, and he’s ready to run at Newbury on Friday, as a little more experience will do him no harm at all.
“Nicky Henderson’s Captain Conan disappointed in Ireland, but you can’t just go off one horse, and I think the rest of Colour Squadron’s form looks pretty good.
“He’s not a big strong horse, but he’s a horse with plenty of ability, and definitely the right attitude.”
Going on to discuss his unbeatne novice hurdler Finjal Bay, Hobbs indicated the Neptune Hurdle at Cheltenham would be his preferred option, with Hobbs commenting:
“I’m sure he would get 3 miles, but as we don’t know for certain, it has to be the Neptune rather than the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.
“He would prefer going on the soft side of good, but I’m sure that will be the surface Cheltenham will prepare anyway.”
Folkestone joins list of abandonments.
The recent cold spell may well be coming to an end, but the warmer temperatures have not come in time to save today's national hunt card at Folkestone.
When Folkestone Clerk of the Course Neil Mackenzie Ross inspected his track at 7.30 am this morning, he found important sections of the track were still frozen solid, and with no likelyhood of the thaw having sufficient effect before this afternoon's scheduled meeting, he was left with no alternative but to abandon today's meeting.
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