AINTREE PREVIEW:DAY ONE of Aintree may have been pretty underwhelming in terms of Irish success, but that could change with a vengeance this afternoon with Forpadydeplasterer fancied for Grade One success on the eve of tomorrow's Grand National.
Ten of the 40 declared National starters are Irish-trained, and the 2007 winner, Silver Birch, could also get in as first reserve before 9am today if one of the entries drops out.
If not, Gordon Elliott’s star will take his chance over the big fences in today’s Topham, a race with 11 Irish runners, which reflects a much stronger assault on the Day Two major Liverpool prizes by the visitors.
The feature event is the John Smith’s Melling Chase, in which Schindlers Hunt, narrowly beaten by Voy Por Ustedes last year, is back for another crack at the two-and-a-half mile highlight.
But this could be a race to bring a frustrating run of four seconds by Forpadydeplasterer to an end.
Considering he was all but ruled out of the Champion Chase in February due to a setback, Tom Cooper’s star ran a blinder at Cheltenham to chase home Big Zeb. He again had Kalahari King behind him and, considering an earlier run of “seconditis” ended last season when encountering decent ground in the Arkle, a similar scenario can play out now.
“You would have to think he would come on for his run at Cheltenham considering the way his preparation was interrupted,” Cooper said yesterday. “The more the ground dries out the better, and I don’t think the trip will be a problem around here.”
The ground dried out significantly yesterday and stamina doesn’t look an issue for a horse who placed in the Neptune Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham festival.
Davy Russell is back in the saddle for the first time since Forpadydeplasterer’s second start over fences, and this track and trip look to suit the Irish hope better than either Albertas Run and Poquelin, who were first and second in the Ryanair.
Today’s other Grade One is the Sefton Novices Hurdle, and in-form trainer “Shark” Hanlon can secure the most significant victory of his career to date with Western Leader.
Luska Lad has been a standard-bearer for Hanlon over the last couple of seasons and added to that tally with a Grade Two at Fairyhouse on Sunday. However, there is more than a little confidence that a hike in trip can lead to Western Leader striking at the top level.
Conor O’Farrell’s mount was impressive in winning by a dozen lengths at Thurles last time, which encourages hopes he will have the early toe to get into a position to use his undoubted stamina.
The Topham hasn’t been as productive an event for Irish raiders as the National itself, but the visitors are going all-out today with 11 runners, headed by topweight Scotsirish.
His inclusion helps keep quite a few of the others out of the handicap proper, but nestled perfectly on 10.3 is Plaisir d’Estruval for Arthur Moore and the trainer’s nephew Paul Carberry.
A winner over hurdles at Gowran last time, the seven-year- old should still be on the upgrade and is preferred to the former Grade One winner Offshore Account. Charlie Swan’s runner led from Becher’s second time to the second-last in last year’s National and looked a winner for a long way at Cheltenham until fading to fourth behind Chief Dan George.
John Kiely saddled Frawley to finish third in the Cheltenham bumper, and another of his promising young horses, Araucaria, can provide the Waterford trainer with back-to-back successes in the Listed Mares bumper.
Candy Creek won for Kiely last year and Araucaria ran into a good one on her last start when runner-up to Shot From The Hip.
Menorah’s Supreme victory at Cheltenham was slightly overshadowed by the furore over Dunguib’s defeat, but he attempts a follow-up in today’s opener. The Hobbs runner had a hard race at Cheltenham, though, and may be vulnerable to an improver like La Sarrazine.
AINTREE SELECTIONS
2.00 La Sarrazine
2.35 Ogee
3.10 Forpadydeplasterer(dbl)
3.45 Plaisir d'Estruval
4.20 Western Leader
4.55 Quinz
5.30 Araucaria(Nap)
Queen to strike for Ballydoyle
WITH JUST over three weeks to go to the Newmarket Guineas, Aidan O'Brien can secure a morale-boosting first win of 2010 when Queen Of Troy lines up at Dundalk this evening, writes Brian O'Connor.
Ballydoyle’s opening salvos to the campaign have looked a long way off peak fitness, and Queen Of Troy didn’t cut much ice in the Guineas Trial at Leopardstown behind Lady Springbank.
However, O’Brien’s runners usually improve markedly for their seasonal debuts, and the course-winning Storm Cat filly should prove a different proposition now against the Moyglare Stud Stakes fifth Gile Na Greine.
Henrythenavigator’s brother Benvenuto flies the Ballydoyle flag in the opener, but Lingapour can kick off a productive session for John Oxx and Fran Berry.
