Irish National mission is on for Angels Dawn

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Cheltenham Festival winner Angels Dawn has been given the go-ahed to bid for further glory in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National Chase at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.

In the immediate aftermath of his mare’s victory in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, trainer Sam Curling feared she would struggle to make the final field of 30.

However, following the latest acceptance stage the eight-year-old finds herself only needing four not to take up the option – and at least two above her are heading for Aintree in Lifetime Ambition and Longhouse Poet.

With doubts about the participation of several others, Angels Dawn looks almost certain to make the cut and Curling – who confirmed Phillip Enright will be reunited with the eight-year-old after Pa King took the ride at Cheltenham – believes marathon trips have been the making of her.

“The Irish National is the aim now, she came out of Cheltenham very well,” said Curling.

“It looks like she’s going to get in so we’ll head for Fairyhouse as long as the ground stays the way it is, but I’d say it will.

“I didn’t think she’d get in at one stage, but she’s jumped up the list a good bit now.

“She’s improving it seems. Fences have been the making of her and stepping up in trip – the extra distances are helping her a lot. Hopefully she keeps going that way.

“She travelled well at Cheltenham and had to battle at the end. Phillip Enright will ride her, he knows her well and rides plenty of ours.”

Burrows sights set on Group One gold for Anmaat

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Owen Burrows has Group One goals for the ever-improving Anmaat.

The Shadwell-owned five-year-old has placed in each of his 10 starts, with six victories including an impressive treble that spanned last season.

Starting his campaign with a half-length success in the John Smith’s Cup at York, the bay then left handicapping behind to land the Group Three Rose Of Lancaster Stakes by four lengths at Haydock in August.

He signed off 2022 with a step up to Group Two class at ParisLongchamp in October, winning the Prix Dollar by a head.

Anmaat holds an entry for the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May, but a trip across the Channel to Longchamp is under consideration again as he will also be pencilled in for the Prix Ganay and the Prix d’Ispahan.

Anmaat winning the John Smith's Cup
Anmaat winning the John Smith’s Cup (Nigel French/PA)

Burrows said: “He’s good, he’s in strong work. I’ve made an entry for him in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and he’ll also have an entry for those two Group races in France – the Ganay and the Prix d’Ispahan. One is at the end of April and one’s at the end of May.

“We’re very pleased with him, fingers crossed we can get him out a bit earlier this year.

“You’ve got Group Threes at Sandown – the Gordon Richards and the Brigadier Gerard – but he’d have a Group Two penalty in those, so I think if we’re happy and he’s showing all the right signs at home, then why not have a crack?

“He was able to win the John Smith’s first time out last year, so he’s a horse we’d like to think we can get ready first time.”

Plans for the return of Hukum, winner of the Group One Coronation Cup on his only domestic start last season, are also under discussion.

Hukum during his Coronation Cup victory
Hukum during his Coronation Cup victory (Tim Goode/PA)

A hind leg injury ended his campaign early, but the full brother to Baaeed was not written off prematurely and after a successful operation, he began the rehabilitation process.

That was also a success and the horse returned to Burrows in due course, where he is being prepared for latter-season targets that could culminate in a bid for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Burrows said: “He’s been back with me quite a while now, he’s just started easy, half-speed work.

“I was speaking to Angus (Gold, Shadwell racing manager) about a month ago about whether we’d be brave enough to go back to Epsom first time out but we’re probably not.

“We’ll probably have a prep run somewhere in May, with a view to the main target being the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and then the races are all pretty mapped out for him.

Hukum winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot
Hukum winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

“The good thing with him is that he’s shown a preference for going on soft ground, so it’s lovely to think he’d be turning up in France in October. That (Arc) would be the main aim, so he’s got more of a second (half of the) season plan.

“He’s rehabbed well and Sheikha Hissa was quite keen to give him another chance. I felt he’d only just really hit a peak, it was impressive what he did at Epsom and I felt he ran a big race in the Sheema Classic considering things didn’t really pan out for him (seventh of 15) – he was only beaten a length and three-quarters.

“If he can continue in that sort of form, then we should have a lot of fun with him this year.”

Burrows also provided an update on Alflaila, who scored a hat-trick of Listed and Group Three victories at the end of last season before sustaining a fracture to his left fetlock.

The injury ruled him out of a Bahrain run in November, but he is making strides in his recovery and is expected back at Burrows’ base in the next few weeks.

Alflaila winning the Strensall Stakes at York
Alflaila winning the Strensall Stakes at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Alflaila is still back at Shadwell, I had an update a few weeks ago and he was back cantering,” he said.

“I’m hoping he’ll be back with me next week or the week after at the latest.

“Touch wood, everything’s going very well, he’s been back cantering for about three weeks and they’re very happy with how he’s healed.”

National hope Hill aiming to make it third-time lucky for Thomson

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Sandy Thomson will fly the flag for the Scottish Borders when Hill Sixteen lines up in the Randox Grand National.

The region has a rich racing heritage and the 10-year-old will be the Lambden-based trainer’s third runner in the race as he sneaks into the 40-strong field off a feather-weight of 10st 2lb.

Seeyouatmidnight was sent off at 11-1 as Thomson’s first runner in the Merseyside marathon in 2018 finishing a well-held 11th behind Tiger Roll, before Dingo Dollar rather unfortunately unshipped Ryan Mania when going well at the second Canal Turn 12 months ago.

Now it is the turn of Hill Sixteen, who was beaten a nose in a Becher Chase thriller by Snow Leopardess in 2021 and last seen finishing seventh in the most recent renewal of the renowned dress rehearsal over the famous green spruce.

Although his best form comes with ease in the ground, his two completions over the National fences have the Borders handler dreaming it will be a case of third-time lucky ahead of Hill Sixteen’s turn to face the Aintree starter.

“We’re really looking forward to it and it has been such a funny spring we really could get a soft-ground National,” said Thomson.

“We’ve seen in the Becher over the past two years it has got to be soft for him to stand a chance. We saw last year that on good ground the top-rated horses have a much better chance, but when it turns soft, they have a big weight to lump round.”

The Grand National has been an ever-present in Thomson’s life and from an early age he grew up listening to tales of Scotland’s favourite racehorse – the Reg Tweedie-trained Freddie.

Freddie was sent off favourite for both the 1965 and 1966 Grand Nationals, finishing runner-up on both occasions, while Thomson’s brush with Aintree history stretches back to 1939 silver medallist MacMoffatt who was bred by the handler’s grandfather.

Although John Leadbetter’s Rubstic in 1979 and Lucinda Russell’s 2017 scorer One For Arthur are the only two winners of the world’s most famous steeplechase from north of the border, Thomson is keen to uphold Scotland’s strong association with the race.

He continued: “I have lots of very early memories of the race and we had Freddie just up the road. I was too young then but grew up with the stories of Freddie and my grandfather bred MacMoffatt.

“John Leadbetter won it and the Borders have had a great association with the race, albeit mostly hard-luck stories rather than actually winning it. But we’ve always gone there and been competitive.

“Non-racing people can’t understand how difficult it is to get a horse qualified to run in the Grand National and hopefully this will be our third runner. Some yards have hardly had a runner in the race. It’s a great occasion to be part of.”

Horse Racing – The 2013 John Smith’s Grand National – Grand National Day – Aintree Racecourse
Ryan Mania celebrates on Auroras Encore after winning the Grand National in 2013 (David Davies/PA)

If Hill Sixteen were to march home in front on April 15, it would be an extra-special moment for Thomson with stepson-in-law Ryan Mania set to do the steering.

Mania won the National on Auroras Encore in 2013 and having retired from the saddle in 2014, spent his years away from the weighing room serving as assistant for Thomson’s Lambden Racing operation before returning to the riding ranks with renewed vigour in 2019.

“Ryan’s record round the fences is very good,” continued Thomson. “He was unlucky last year with his saddle slipping round Canal Turn. That can happen to anyone in a race like that.

“The race has changed hugely over the last four or five years. Ryan said after riding in it last year that it’s such a different race now to what is was when he won on Aurora’s Encore.”

Vaughan thrilled as Eva’s Oskar makes National cut

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Trainer Tim Vaughan was relieved and delighted in equal measure after Eva’s Oskar was confirmed as the 40th horse in the field following the latest scratchings deadline for the Randox Grand National.

The nine-year-old, who won a competitive handicap chase at Cheltenham earlier in the season, was previously further down the order of entry for the Aintree spectacular, but is now guaranteed a starting berth after a total of 16 horses were taken out.

The defectors include Shark Hanlon’s joint top-weight Hewick and Gordon Elliott’s Cheltenham Gold Cup third Conflated, with both absences anticipated. Becher Chase winner Ashtown Lad has also been removed by Dan Skelton, as has the Willie Mullins-trained Franco De Port.

Vaughan said: “We definitely want to run – we’re eager beavers!

“What’s lovely is we’ve actually got in. A lad who works for me was counting them down and we were thinking we might be 41st and you’re still lingering then until the day.

“It’s quite nice as it feels like we can relax now, enjoy the process and just hope that he takes to the fences well on the day.”

Since his Cheltenham success of early December, Eva’s Oskar has finished sixth at Sandown and fourth in the Eider Chase at Newcastle.

The grey is a 100-1 shot to claim Grand National glory with William Hill, but Vaughan insists he is not just there to make up the numbers.

Trainer Tim Vaughan (right) at Cheltenham
Trainer Tim Vaughan (right) at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

“We’ve been planning to go there for some time and he seems in good shape. We can make a few fences at home now with the spruce on,” the Welsh trainer added.

“We didn’t want to do that until we knew where we were at. We thought today would sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of who definitely wanted to run and we’re excited to be in there.

“Of course I’m not naive enough to think we’re going there as a 10-1 chance, but as outsiders go he ticks a lot of boxes in that he’s good enough to win a £70,000 premier handicap at Cheltenham and he’s finished fourth in the Eider – we think he can do himself justice.

“It’s obviously a massive step up in class and it’s a great race with all the jazz that goes with it, but you’ve got to be in it to win it and that we are at the moment.”

Any Second Now will carry top-weight of 11st 12lb in the Grand National
Any Second Now will carry top-weight of 11st 12lb in the Grand National (Brian Lawless/PA)

A total of 57 contenders have stood their ground, with Ted Walsh’s Any Second Now – third and second in the last two renewals – out on his own at the head of the weights on 11st 12lb.

Last year’s winner Noble Yeats is just 1lb behind on 11st 11lb, as is Galvin, while ante-post favourite Corach Rambler looks set to carry 10st 5lb.

Eva’s Oskar and Recite A Prayer are the two lowest-rated horses in the field of 40 at this stage, with a mark of 142 translating to a weight of 10st 1lb.

Connections of the three horses rated 141 – Our Power, Dunboyne and Francky Du Berlais – now face an anxious wait to see if they will make the final cut for the great race on April 15.

Westover team positive after fine effort behind magical Equinox

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Connections of Westover are excited to see what the rest of the year has in store after finishing best of the rest behind the brilliant Equinox at Meydan last weekend.

Third in last year’s Derby at Epsom before a dominant victory in the Irish equivalent, the Ralph Beckett-trained Westover disappointed in the King George at Ascot in July before rounding off his campaign with sixth place in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The Juddmonte-owned son of Frankel was making his four-year-old debut in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic – and while he was reported to be a little over enthusiastic in his preparation, he proved his ability remains very much intact by filling the runner-up spot behind the devastating Japanese winner.

“We were very, very happy with what was his first run of the year after a long time off the track – you couldn’t have asked for much more,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon.

“Equinox looks a very good horse, to be fair. He looked very fit beforehand and won in the manner of an exceptionally good horse. I think we’ll be trying to stay away from him wherever he goes!

“I think it was well documented that Westover didn’t settle in get over there. With it being his first run of the year, he was a bit full of himself and got a lit up there during the week. On his first morning out on the track, he got a bit of a head of steam up and ended up doing a lap too many!

“We were a little nervous going into Saturday, but luckily it all worked out well and he ran a blinding race and that should settle him down and set him up for what will hopefully be a good season.”

Westover holds an entry in the 10-furlong Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 28, while the following weekend’s Coronation Cup at Epsom over a mile and a half is an obvious alternative.

Mahon is in no rush to commit to future plans at this stage, but is hopeful he can prove effective over both distances in his search for further top-level honours.

He added: “The Tattersalls Gold Cup might come a bit soon for him, but we’ll see. I’d imagine he’ll get an entry in the Coronation, too.

“A couple of weeks later you have the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud as well, so all those races are going to be under consideration and it just depends which one he’s peaking for at the time.

“I don’t think he’d have that much problem over 10 furlongs. He won his Derby trial last year over 10 and if you stopped the Irish Derby at the 10-furlong marker, it was well and truly over at that stage.

“I think he definitely has enough speed for 10 furlongs, so I think mix it up through the year between 10 and 12 and hopefully we can win another Group One or a couple of them if we’re lucky.”

Tate ‘not averse’ to stepping up in trip with Royal Aclaim

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James Tate is not ruling out a step up to six furlongs with his talented filly Royal Aclaim.

The four-year-old caught the eye last season when winning a Bath novice in June and then going on to comfortably land the Listed City Walls Stakes at York in July.

That form was stacked on top of a debut win the previous season when the daughter of Aclaim defeated Richard Fahey’s subsequent Group One winner Perfect Power on the all-weather.

After the York success a return to the Knavesmire for the Nunthorpe was the next target for Royal Aclaim, but the race did not go to plan and she was sixth of 13 runners.

Connections regrouped and headed to France for the Group Three Prix du Petit Couvert at ParisLongchamp, a race in which the filly was third on soft ground behind subsequent Group Three winner Coeur De Pierre and ahead of Prix de l’Abbaye runner-up White Lavender.

Royal Aclaim at York
Royal Aclaim at York (Nigel French/PA)

Royal Aclaim is now preparing for the new season and is likely to be seen again in May, with a step up to six furlongs under consideration as her campaign is pondered.

Tate said: “She’s good, she’s cantering and swimming away. There are races for her in April but I think it’s more likely she’ll reappear in May.

“The ground was a little bit softer than ideal in France, there was a little bit of a golden strip by the rail that day that she didn’t quite get on to.

“The form stacked up well in the Abbaye, those horses that were in and around her were placed in that a couple of weeks later.

“There was nothing wrong with that run, I’d like to think she’s got the scope to progress more this year and I wouldn’t be averse to trying six (furlongs) with her one day too as she seems to relax well, so that could be something to look forward to through the year.”

Hollie Doyle raring to go for Newcastle comeback on Friday

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Hollie Doyle is set to make her return from over two months on the sidelines at Newcastle on Friday, before heading to Doncaster for the start of the Flat turf season in Britain this weekend.

The record-breaking rider took a crashing fall from The Perfect Crown at Wolverhampton on January 17, both fracturing and dislocating her elbow, as well as suffering ligament damage.

Doyle is thrilled to have have won her race against time to be fit for the new turf campaign, though, and will first blow away the cobwebs on the all-weather in the north east.

“Getting back for the start of the turf season was kind of a target for me and thankfully I’ve had the go-ahead,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the saddle and doing what I love really.

“It’ll be good to get back to work. I know it’s been a long time, but I’ve always had it in my head that it could have been a lot worse. It’s sorted now, so hopefully I get a clean run at things now.

“A big thank you goes to Oaksey House and the Injured Jockeys Fund who have got me here.”

Revich (left) is set to be Hollie Doyle's ride in the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday
Revich (left) is set to be Hollie Doyle’s ride in the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday (Jeff Holmes/PA)

Doyle is poised to make her comeback aboard the Archie Watson-trained Rhythm N Hooves at Newcastle, while her weekend rides at Doncaster look set to include Richard Spencer’s Revich in the Lincoln and Wilderness Girl, trained by Adrian Nicholls, in the Cammidge Trophy.

“I think Archie has got a runner at Newcastle and he thought it would be a good idea for me to go up there and ride that one and then I can go on to Doncaster,” Doyle added.

“Obviously declarations aren’t done yet, but I’m down on Revich in the Lincoln, which is good. It’s great that Richard is supporting me as he’s been very good to me over the last few years.”

Buzz to be aimed at Flat return, as Henderson rules Aintree out

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Nicky Henderson’s strong team of hurdlers for Aintree will not include Buzz or Steal A March.

The Seven Barrows handler, who took his Cheltenham Festival winners tally to 73 when Constitution Hill gave him a record ninth Champion Hurdle, has ruled both out of running at the Grand National Festival.

Dual-purpose star Buzz won the Cesarewitch at Newmarket and Ascot Hurdle in quick succession in the autumn of 2021, but has been off the track since fracturing his pelvis the day before an intended outing in the Long Walk Hurdle.

Henderson felt a tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle would have been a bridge too far and similarly feels bypassing the Liverpool Hurdle allows the nine-year-old grey more time to return to peak fitness.

“We are working away with Buzz, I think really concentrating on a Flat campaign,” said Henderson. “That would be the most likely scenario.

“He is not quite going to be ready for Aintree, anyway. It would be tough to throw him straight into a Grade One.

“So I think we will be looking, as long as the weather holds on for a bit in the summer, at the Flat.

“But he is in good form and it is great to have him back in action. He’s enjoying himself, anyway.”

Steal A March was well-fancied by the yard to land what would have been a popular victory in the Pertemps Final.

The eight-year-old, who gave Henderson huge satisfaction by winning a lowly Worcester handicap hurdle on June 4, providing the Queen with a winner during her Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations, will similarly not make the team for Aintree.

Now carrying the famous purple, scarlet and gold silks of the King, Steal A March was a narrow runner-up on his seasonal bow in a decent Newbury handicap and then scored at Wincanton on Boxing Day.

However, he did not line up at Cheltenham and Henderson revealed he has met with a setback.

“Unfortunately we had a problem with him before Cheltenham and he is going to have to take a bit of time out, which is frustrating, because I was very, very keen to run him in the Pertemps Final,” he said.

“He’d qualified, he won his qualifier and everything was going really well, but we have bumped into an issue, which is very frustrating and that was literally the week before.

“He won’t go to Aintree or Punchestown, sadly.”

Kirby looking towards Topham target for Ben

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Phil Kirby’s popular campaigner Top Ville Ben could head next for the Topham Chase at Aintree.

The 11-year-old was pulled up when seen most recently in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival, but prior to that he was a gallant third in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase in early February.

The gelding already has some experience of the Grand National track having run in both the Becher and the National itself last season.

He may have pulled up before the third fence from home in the latter race, but he jumped well up until that point despite being seriously hampered on landing at the 10th.

Top Ville Ben at Aintree in 2019
Top Ville Ben at Aintree in 2019 (Paul Harding/PA)

Kirby will school the horse at home after feeling his jumping was less than fluent at Cheltenham, and a satisfactory session will see him head back to Aintree for the two-mile-five-furlong handicap.

The trainer said: “He’s an entry in the Topham, so that’s the plan at the moment.

“He was just a bit sticky at Cheltenham so we’re going to school him at home.

“We’ll school him and if he jumps well then the plan will be to go there, but he’s come out of the race at Cheltenham absolutely fine.”

Smart James Tate performers all set for action this week

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The James Tate duo of Iconic Moment and New Definition are set to cross paths again in the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes at Chelmsford on Saturday.

The pair faced one another in the Listed Spring Cup Stakes at Lingfield earlier in the month, where Iconic Moment maintained his undefeated record to prevail by a short head from his stablemate.

A winner of two prior novices, Iconic Moment is a lightly-raced son of Harry Angel who looked green during his Listed triumph, but has obvious ability that Tate hopes will be enhanced by a step up to a mile – and transfer to turf in time.

He said: “He’s a horse with a lot of talent and potential, he hasn’t quite got it all together yet but despite that he is three from three.

“We think stepping him up to the mile is going to help him so that will be interesting for both of them on Saturday because they’ve both only raced as far as seven furlongs so far.

“So far he has only run on the all-weather, but he’s certainly bred to run on grass and goes nicely on grass.

“The question is what level is he going to be, but I’d like to think he’d be running in Group races over seven furlongs or a mile on the turf hopefully.”

New Definition is a more experienced horse and will make his 13th start at the weekend, with his pedigree familiar to Tate as he trained both the dam, Second Generation, and the grand dam, El Manati.

Both were good quality sprinters and the colt is by Invincible Spirit, leaving the trainer pleasantly surprised by how the three-year-old has handled a step up in distance.

He said: “It’s been a bit of surprise that’s he’s getting the distance because he’s from a family I know well, I trained his dam to win a five-furlong Listed sprint and I trained his grand dam to just get touched off in the Cornwallis.

“He’s by Invincible Spirit so you’d have thought he’d be all about speed, but he does seems to have stepped up his form a little bit in his last two runs over seven (furlongs) so this run over a mile will be interesting, and I’d be pretty confident he’ll be every bit as good on the grass.”

Tate has also used the all-weather to bring on the promising four-year-old Mount Athos, a wide-margin winner of two novice events last year.

Taking a Thirsk contest in June by five lengths and a Kempton event in October by the same distance, the bay will now return to the latter track over course and distance on Wednesday rather than take up a Listed Cammidge Trophy entry at Doncaster on Saturday.

“We did toy with the idea of putting him in at the deep end in that Doncaster race, but by the looks of the forecast it is going to be pretty soft and there’d be a lot of unknowns about that,” said Tate.

“We’ve decided to stick with what we know he’s good at, he won over course and distance at Kempton by five lengths on his last start and he looks to have improved over the winter so we’re very hopeful for Wednesday.

“We’d like to think that he’s a Pattern horse, but he obviously needs to prove that on the track.

“We’ve a few nice ones this year, I hope, but we’ll find out a bit more about them when we run them against everyone else’s nice ones!”