Townend gets Supreme call

RACING NEWS:PAUL TOWNEND will team up with the gambled on Arbor Supreme for Willie Mullins in Saturday week's Aintree Grand National.

The JP McManus-owned horse was backed down to 12 to 1 third favourite with some firms yesterday, prompting some speculation that Tony McCoy would attempt to break his National duck on Arbor Supreme.

However, with Ruby Walsh set to partner the favourite Big Fella Thanks at Aintree, Mullins has turned to the champion jockey’s understudy for Arbor Supreme.

“Paul is going to ride Arbor Suprme in the Grand National,” Ireland’s champion trainer said yesterday. “I discussed it with Paul over the weekend and decided this was the way to go.”

McManus has three other National entries and McCoy looks like he could be on board Can’t Buy Time for Jonjo O’Neill in the big race. McManus’s other two hopefuls are Don’t Push It and the former National runner-up King Johns Castle.

In other news, it looks like last Sunday’s impressive classic trial winner Noll Wallop will appear next at the Curragh on Guineas weekend but it is not certain in which race. The Tommy Stack-trained son of High Chaparral is as low as 12 to 1 for the Irish 2,000 Guineas after winning the Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday but his main target remains the Irish Derby. “He will probably run on Irish Guineas weekend, either in the Guineas or the Gallinule Stakes, then on to the Irish Derby. That’s the most likely scenario with him,” Stack’s son and assistant Fozzy said yesterday.

The Sandown Classic Trial could be next for Stack’s Mister Carter who won on his debut two days ago although he also has an option at Gowran Park two weeks afterwards.