Titley set to partner Mudahim for Pitman

JENNY PITMAN has booked Jason Titley to partner Mudahim in the £100,000 Jameson Irish National at Fairyhouse on Monday. Titley - who partnered Mrs Pitman's Royal Athlete to victory in the Martell Grand National two years ago after picking up the spare ride - takes over from the injured Rodney Farrant.

Farrant was in the saddle when Mudahim landed the Racing Post Chase at Kempton last month.

Meanwhile, there was another Aintree Grand National gamble yesterday on Time for A Run, who has been strongly supported with Coral, including one bet of £1,000 at 16 to 1. The Edward O'Grady-trained gelding is now 12 to 1.

Chris Maude will ride Dextra Dove in the big Aintree race. Trainer Simon Earle snapped up the jockey after being delighted with his horse's improvement since he put up a lifeless display in the Racing Post Chase.

"He's come back from some physio on his shoulders and back with Mary Bromiley and is 100 per cent now," Earle enthused.

"Go Ballistic is favourite for the National but I think we had him beaten when he fell in the Agfa Chase at Sandown and he's had his excuses since.

"I'm pleased we've got Chris to ride because he gets on well with the horse and has always done an excellent job for us."

Dextra Dove, a 33 to 1 shot for the National with William Hill, is currently 1lb out of the handicap for the race on 9st 13lb.

. Sheikh Hamdan Al-Maktoum is set to embrace the Godolphin concept fully by stabling an expanded team of horses in Dubai from the end of the year. A late convert to the benefits of warm weather training, plans have been drawn up to base up to 60 of his string in the Middle East from the end of the 1997 British Flat season.

Since 1994 Godolphin, in which brother Sheikh Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammed are partners, has enjoyed extraordinary success around the world. It adopts a policy of hand-picking a team of its most promising horses to spend the winter in Dubai before returning to Newmarket.