O'Regan's mount has eye on Aintree

RACING DONCASTER: CO ANTRIM-based trainer Stuart Crawford teams up with Cork-born rider Denis O’Regan to fly the Irish flag …

RACING DONCASTER:CO ANTRIM-based trainer Stuart Crawford teams up with Cork-born rider Denis O'Regan to fly the Irish flag with Killyglen in this afternoon's Doncaster feature.

The 2009 Aintree festival winner is topweight for the Grimthorpe Handicap Chase but O’Regan is still confident of a bold show by the horse ahead of a tilt at the Aintree Grand National.

“He’s a cracking horse on his day. He’ll love the ground, if it stays good, and he should be competitive.

“He was supposed to run in the Sky Bet Chase last month but that was called off so all being well, he will run a good race,” the jockey said yesterday.

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“The day he won at Aintree he looked very good and a return to that form would make him hard to beat but he hasn’t won since. He’s run a couple of races this season and I presume he’ll head for the National. The key is he comes right at this time of year, he’s a real spring horse,” O’Regan added.

Other Irish interest across-channel today will be at Newbury where the former Troytown and Paddy Power Chase winner Cane Brake lines up for a veterans handicap chase under Gold Cup-winning rider Sam Thomas.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column