Any Second Now on course for third crack at National glory

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Ted Walsh believes Any Second Now will need plenty of luck to go one better than last year and win the Grand National.

The JP McManus-owned gelding was third behind Minella Times in the Aintree spectacular in 2021 and runner-up last year to Noble Yeats.

And Walsh, who saddled Papillon to victory in the race 23 years ago, knows the just-turned 11-year-old will do well to give him a second success.

Any Second Now returned to action over hurdles at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, showing his well-being with a fair second to Saint Sam over an extended two miles and three furlongs.

It was the first step to another crack at the extended four-and-a-quarter-mile Grade Three prize at Aintree, and Walsh was satisfied with the performance.

He said: “He ran all right. That was what we expected him to do. He is going to be competing at the top table, so you want to be running well.

“He was due to run a couple of times earlier on, but each race was called off, so he was a little bit more advanced than he was for his first run last year. He’s grand, has taken it well and has taken everything in his stride from day one.

“He will definitely run twice more and maybe have three more runs before Aintree.

“He’s not after prize-money, but there’s nothing like a bit of competition.”

Ted Walsh feels it will be hard for Any Second Now to win the Grand National
Ted Walsh feels it will be hard for Any Second Now to win the Grand National (Mike Egerton/PA)

Walsh will undertake a familiar preparation towards a return to the Merseyside track in April, with Any Second Now likely to revert to fences next time.

“He might run at Leopardstown or he might run at Gowran Park at the end of the month, and he might run somewhere else after that,” said Walsh.

“He might run over fences, I don’t know if he’ll run over hurdles again. I’ll see what suits him, but he won’t run anywhere for a month.

“He’ll run somewhere in January, somewhere in February and somewhere in March. He’ll run at least twice, maybe three times.

“He’s quite a clear horse. I just think that’s the right preparation – maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I’m doing, anyway.

“I don’t have a set pattern. Some horses take plenty and some horses don’t. He is lightly raced. He is in his seventh year here now and he’s has no more than 30 runs in his life.”

A gallant third after being badly hampered in the 2021 National, 12 months on and 7lb higher, he managed to push Noble Yeats to within a little over two lengths.

Yet the County Kildare handler feels last season’s Bobbyjo Chase winner will do well to replicate his previous good form at Aintree this year.

“He’s been unlucky not to win a National, but he probably won’t win one at this stage,” admitted Walsh.

“He was a bit unlucky the year they called it off because of Covid (2020) – he was well handicapped and is about 20lb higher now.

“Then he was unlucky to be (nearly) brought down in the year that (jockey) Rachael Blackmore won it. I’m not saying he would have won it, but he was unlucky.

“Then he was unlucky to run up against a well-handicapped young horse on the up last year.

Papillon, trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his son, Ruby, landed the Grand National in 2000
Papillon, trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his son, Ruby, landed the Grand National in 2000 (Owen Humphreys/PA)

“Worse horses have won the National. I know better horses have as well, but if luck had bounced his way, he could have won one.

“I doubt he can win one. I couldn’t see it. He has gone up a long way in the handicap and he’s certainly not going to get any better at 11 than he was at nine and 10.”

There has not been a winner of the National aged 10 or over since 11-year-old Pineau De Re scored in 2014 and Walsh says the lowering of the fences and the compression of the handicap in recent years has made the race a different test than in previous times.

“The National is not like it was,” he added. “When Red Rum won it, it wasn’t like when Reynoldstown won it. And when Tiger Roll won it, it wasn’t like when Red Rum won it.

“The last National to be run without aprons was in 1963 when Ayala won it. The National had no take-offs in front of the fences when he won it.

“These days, you don’t even know they are jumping Becher’s (Brook) now unless the commentator tells you they are jumping it. Nobody would know. They don’t even nod at the back of it.

Ted Walsh will hope he can land another Grand National 23 years after his first
Ted Walsh will hope he can land another Grand National 23 years after his first (PA)

“I’m old fashioned. I don’t think the changes are a good thing, but that’s neither here nor there. It is what it is.

“It is more of a stamina test than it was 20 years ago – a lot more. They never take the foot off the pedal.

“Years ago, the first thing all the jockeys will tell you is that they would hunt around the first round and then ride a race. Now they just jump out and it’s go-go-go.”

Slattery thrilled with Sir Allen – and eyeing Cheltenham

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Andrew Slattery’s Sir Allen is en route to one of two Cheltenham Festival options after his eyecatching Punchestown success.

The four-year-old was trained by Slattery on the Flat as a two- and three-year-old before making his hurdling debut in December.

Second in a Cork maiden at the first time of asking, the gelding then went on to claim a competitive 20-runner maiden at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve.

Defeating Gordon Elliott’s Calico by two lengths, Sir Allen jumped fluently and showed promise among a large field filled with runners from the leading stables.

“We were thrilled, from the first time he jumped a hurdle he showed he liked it and it was great that he carried that onto the track,” Slattery said.

“He’s done what he was showing at home. He had a good run at Cork, we thought he’d improve from that and he did, I’d say.

“He’s a lovely horse who’ll jump a fence in time. He was well capable of winning more on the Flat, he should be a good fun horse.

“He had a little injury early on last year and missed the early part of the season, that put him on the back foot as everything was a bit rushed to get him ready for the later part of the Flat season, but from the first day he jumped a hurdle he seemed to love it.”

The Dublin Racing Festival or a Naas outing are next on the agenda, and the handicapper’s assessment of the horse’s performances is then likely to inform his target at the Cheltenham Festival.

Both the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle and the Triumph Hurdle are under consideration, with the former a handicap contest and the latter run off level weights.

“He’ll have one more run, either at the Dublin Racing Festival or in Naas in February, it’ll be one of those,” Slattery said.

“We’ll see what the handicapper does and that will tell us whether we’ll go for the Boodles or the Triumph – it depends on where the handicapper puts us.”

Sir Allen is owned by the Eight Star Syndicate, from whom Slattery used to train Dinkum Diamond after his spell in England with Henry Candy.

Slattery explained: “The syndicate that owns him used to have a very good horse a few years ago called Dinkum Diamond, that used to be trained by Henry Candy, hopefully this is another nice horse for them.”

Snowden has Sandown plan for You Wear It Well

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Jamie Snowden is plotting a course to the Cheltenham Festival via the Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown for his smart Challow Hurdle runner-up You Wear It Well.

Three from four and unbeaten over hurdles heading into the Newbury Grade One, the six-year-old was far from disgraced when both stepping up in both trip and grade, chasing home the ultra-impressive winner Hermes Allen for a brave silver medal.

With black type in the bag and confirmation he has both a talented and versatile mare on his hands, Snowden plans to follow the route taken successfully by Love Envoi in 2022 by running over two and a half miles at Sandown on February 16, before dropping back to the minimum distance for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March.

“It was a cracking run,” said Snowden reflecting on You Wear It Well’s Challow efforts.

“She was fairly unexposed going into the race and although the winner has won quite easily, she has travelled through the race nicely and has beaten the rest of the field easily. She was only just over four lengths behind the winner and a good way clear of the third so it was a fine effort.

“I think we might consider the Grade Two Jane Seymour at Sandown next and then the Festival.

“She stayed the trip well at Newbury, yet her form before that was over two miles so she is a smart mare. She’s a talented mare, she’s not slow but she also stays. You take the impressive winner out of the Challow and she has beaten the others really nicely. She’s a good mare and has bags of talent.”

Snowden also saddled £185,000 recruit Passing Well to finish fourth in the two-and-a-half-mile feature at the Berkshire track on New Year’s Eve.

Although well held, the Folly House handler was far from disappointed with the performance and will now seek to find the six-year-old a winnable opportunity for a confidence booster in calmer waters before potentially returning to Grade One action with a step up to three miles at the Festival in the spring.

“He was fourth and ran a belter, he was just outpaced at a crucial time before staying on really well in the final furlong,” continued Snowden.

“He is obviously a three-mile chaser in the making and I would say we will drop back and try to win with a penalty and then we might head up in trip and have a think about the Albert Bartlett perhaps.”

Stage Star back to winning ways with ease at Plumpton

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Stage Star was the highlight of a treble for Harry Cobden at Plumpton on Monday, as Paul Nicholls’ charge got his novice chasing career back on track with a bloodless victory.

A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old made a bright start to life over the larger obstacles at Warwick, but was then bitterly disappointing when sent off odds-on for a Grade Two at Newbury in November.

Dropped into calmer waters for the Phone Betting At Goodwin Racing 08000 421 321 Novices’ Chase, the Ditcheat inmate had just the Fergal O’Brien-trained Mortlach to beat and did so with ease, producing a fine round of jumping in the hands of Harry Cobden to oblige favourite-backers at 1-9.

“I was very pleased with that,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. “I don’t think he was right for whatever reason at Newbury the last day, he hung and the ground was fast enough for him.

“Today he looked better beforehand, and he went round there with a spring in his step, jumped well and looks to be back on form.

“He has to go left-handed and there’s quite a valuable novice chase at Warwick in two weeks’ time and there is a very valuable race at Lingfield in three weeks’ time, so it would be one of those I expect next.

“He will definitely have entries at Cheltenham in both the two and a half (Turners) and over three (Brown Advisory). If we get him right we’ll definitely go for one of them.”

Cobden added to his tally when he steered Milton Harris’ Twinjets (1-3 favourite) to a nine-length victory in the Free Bet Nose Losers At Betgoodwin EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

It was the six-year-old’s fourth victory in five starts under rules and the Sutton Veny handler is eyeing a trip to Sandown on March 11.

“To be fair to him he’s only been beat once and he came back wrong that day,” said Harris of the winner.

“Turning in I thought ‘this could be a race’ but he’s ended up winning nine lengths so he’s a fair horse.

“He’s just a bit immature – he jumps a bit left then will go a bit right – but he will definitely be all right. How far we go with him? I don’t know. Of course life gets a bit difficult now with a double penalty.

“But he could go for something like the EBF Final at Sandown where he might get his ground and he’ll get the trip.

“He needs another run and he needs another run without being too silly. You’d like to get in there off 120-something wouldn’t you, but he’s better than that you would think.”

Harris and Cobden combined again to round off the day in style when El Muchacho (7-2) landed the concluding Zoe Davison Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

Joe Tizzard’s Atakan (11-4) ground down the tough 5-2 favourite Blame The Game in the shadow of the post to edge the feature BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase in the hands of Brendan Powell.

“We’ve always quite liked him and his fist ever time on the track at Carlisle he finished sixth,” said Powell.

“I don’t think he’d seen much grass before and he gave me a feel he would make a nice staying chaser and I quietly fancied him today, I thought we’d be placed definitely.

“For a horse that is only having his third run over fences his jumping is good. He made all when he won round here in a novice chase, but I didn’t want to commit him too soon and it worked out quite well as I had some company and something to aim at turning in. I thought I would keep waiting on him and thankfully it worked.

“They are fit and you know they will keep going but he’s a horse I just wanted to have one go at today, especially in a race like this, and I didn’t really want to chuck the race away by taking it up too soon.”

There was also an impressive win on the card for Gary Moore’s Hansard (5-2), who gave 7lb and a two-length beating to 4-7 favourite Master Chewy in the Download The BetGoodwin App Novices’ Hurdle.

Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton
Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton (Tim Goode/PA)

“The second horse is rated 126 and we’ve given it 7lb,” said winning rider Jamie Moore.

“My lad has actually pulled up over the last two, I know I haven’t won by a mile but he wasn’t doing an awful lot in front. He travels round good, he’s by The Gurkha so he has got a pit of poke. I think he’ll be a nice horse.

“He won on good ground at Huntingdon and Huntingdon has been quick all year. We were worried at Huntingdon that it would be too quick and we were worried today it would be too slow.

“He’s very tough and hardy. He ran in four bumpers in four months in Ireland for Charles O’Brien and won his final one of them, so he could be progressing. He’s a nice horse.”

Good Land pencilled for Grade One mission next month

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Barry Connell’s Good Land has a Grade One return to Leopardstown in store after his taking victory at the track last week.

The lightly-raced seven-year-old had some good bumper form to his name when making his hurdles debut at Fairyhouse in early December, but a first-fence mistake cut that run short as he parted ways with rider Michael O’Sullivan.

At Leopardstown on Thursday he returned to contest the Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle, a race he dominated when making all of the running and going on to win by an unchallenged eight lengths on the line.

Connell now has a step up in calibre in mind for the Blue Bresil gelding, with the Grade One Nathaniel Lacy Solicitors Novice Hurdle on the agenda at the Dublin Racing Festival in early February.

“We were delighted with him, we knew he was a smart horse,” the owner-trainer said.

Good Land in action at Leopardstown
Good Land in action at Leopardstown (Niall Carson/PA)

“He won his bumper in Wexford very well and the form of that race had worked out, there were a number of winners that came out of that race.

“In that Fairyhouse run he just landed steeply after one hurdle, that was it. He was basically a non-runner in that race.

“His jumping is good and I don’t think he missed a beat in Leopardstown, he might have got in tight to one but was very clever and the rest were spot on.

“He’d been schooling well at home so we were expecting him to run a big race, but when you go to Leopardstown for a maiden run at Christmas with all the big yards involved – it takes a pretty good horse to win there.

“The manner in which he won was very impressive. I think he’s entitled to take his shot now at the Dublin Racing Festival and that’s where we’ll probably go next.

“The plan is to go for the two-mile six (furlong) race at the Dublin Racing Festival, the Grade One.”

Scott tempted by Stayers’ Hurdle for versatile Dashel Drasher

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A tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle has crept into the equation for Dashel Drasher following his game effort in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Jeremy Scott’s versatile 10-year-old has mixed and matched fences and hurdles with real success of late, winning on his reappearance over timber at Aintree before finishing second to Grand National winner Noble Yeats on a first try at three miles in the Many Clouds Chase when returned to Merseyside the following month.

Keen to keep things fresh for the 11-time winner, the son of Passing Glance was returned to the smaller objects for his latest assignment, leading the field along for the majority of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two and only succumbing to the superior turn of foot of the winner, Marie’s Rock, in the closing stages.

However, what pleased Scott most about the performance was how his stable star bravely battled back for second once headed by First Street up the run-in and it is convincing the Higher Holworthy Farm handler that three miles is worth further exploration – something which could lead to an outing in the Paddy Power-sponsored Stayers’ Hurdle in March.

“I thought it was a great run, I couldn’t have been happier really without winning a race,” said Scott.

“He had a lot of decent horses in behind him and I think we’ve got half an idea that we will up him to three miles over hurdles and possibly look at running him in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

“He isn’t quite quick enough over the two and a half miles and he certainly didn’t have the turn of foot the winner had. But it was really pleasing how he fought back and beat the second horse having been headed and I think it shows an awful lot of guts, which is a very admirable feature in a racehorse.

“He got the trip OK up at Aintree and the more we run him this season the more he seems to see it out OK. His cruising speed would hopefully put one or two under pressure.”

Scott is still to decide how Dashel Drasher prepares for a possible run at the Festival, with a course-and-distance sighter in the Cleeve Hurdle (January 28) an option, but also a return to fences for the Betfair Ascot Chase (February 18) he won in 2021.

Dashel Drasher could return to his beloved Ascot to complete his Cheltenham Festival preparations
Dashel Drasher could return to his beloved Ascot to complete his Cheltenham Festival preparations (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

He continued: “We could go back chasing and I’m not worried about going chasing, but that division could be stronger at the moment. We’ll see how he comes out of this race and our original plan was to have a run in the Cleeve and see how he got on over three miles.

“That might come a bit soon, but we also have the option of going back over fences at Ascot – give him a break now and run in the Graded race he’s won before. Then go to Cheltenham after that if it all worked out.

“We will very much see how he comes out of this race, he’s absolutely fine this morning and I think he has thoroughly enjoyed his experience at Cheltenham.”

Bravemansgame and Hermes Allen straight to Cheltenham, confirms Nicholls

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Paul Nicholls has confirmed both Bravemansgame and Hermes Allen will head straight to the Cheltenham Festival after their successes over the festive period.

Bravemansgame provided the champion trainer with a 13th success in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, prevailing by 14 lengths under Harry Cobden having started at 11-4.

The Gold Cup is the next port of call and there will be no more stopping points, as Nicholls intends to arrive at Prestbury Park in March with the horse fully fresh.

“Bravemansgame came out of the race really well, he used to take his races quite hard but I’d say he’s hardly lost a kilo this time and he looks great already,” he told Betfair.

“I don’t need to prove anything with him, he’s best when he’s fresh and very fit.

Hermes Allen looked a real star in the making at Newbury
Hermes Allen looked a real star in the making at Newbury (Nigel French/PA)

“We’re not going to make the same mistake as last year and run him between now and Cheltenham, we’ll get him in the form of his life and go straight to the Gold Cup.”

The same plan of action applies to Hermes Allen, who was a taking winner of the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on New Year’s Eve and will now be prepared for the Ballymore.

“Hermes Allen, what is the point of running him?” Nicholls said.

“If we look after him he could go on to Cheltenham and then either Aintree or Punchestown.

“He’s in great shape, he’s come out of the race well and he’ll go straight to the Ballymore.”

Luccia and Authorised Speed on course for Tolworth showdown

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Luccia is set to take on the boys with her name one of 11 to appear in the list of entries for the Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday.

The unbeaten five-year-old has already tasted Listed success at the Esher track when winning a bumper there last March and added a further victory at that level when making an impressive hurdling debut at Newbury in November.

She now steps up to Grade One action looking to enhance trainer Nicky Henderson’s fine record in the race and follow up Constitution Hill’s impressive triumph for Seven Barrows 12 months ago.

Authorised Speed has a course and distance win to his name and the Champion Bumper fifth looks a real classy operator for Gary Moore, while Tahmuras is two from two over obstacles and looks to give Paul Nicholls a third Grade One success in as many weeks.

Colin Tizzard won the race in 2017, 2019 and 2020 and son Joe now looks to keep the Venn Farm record going by saddling Scarface, who is unbeaten in two outings over further this term. He has plenty of experience to his name and will look to bring his stamina to the fore dropping back in trip.

L’Astroboy has only been sighted twice, but has created a taking impression each time and represents Evan Williams, while Jamie Snowden saddled the runner-up in Newbury’s Challow Hurdle on Saturday and attempts to go one better with Colonel Harry who was a clear-cut seven-length scorer at Sandown when last sighted.

Arctic Bresil after winning on debut at Cork
Arctic Bresil after winning on debut at Cork (Thomas Weekes/PA)

Henry de Bromhead’s Arctic Bresil downed a well-regarded favourite when recording an easy victory on hurdling debut at Cork and is the only possible raider from Ireland.

Ukantango (Olly Murphy), Blow Your Wad (Tom Lacey), Nemean Lion (Kerry Lee) and Joe Dadancer (Ben Pauling) complete the list of those potential runners.

Clarence House Chase target next for Edwardstone

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Edwardstone will run in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 21 following his mishap in the Desert Orchid Chase over Christmas.

Alan King is keen to keep last season’s Arkle winner busy, given he only got as far as the fifth fence before unseating Tom Cannon.

Having been thwarted in attempts to run him at Cheltenham and Ascot before his Tingle Creek success, King feels he needs plenty of racing to stay happy.

“He’s 100 per cent. He bounced out the following morning,” King told Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast.

“He’s been cantering away, he schooled this morning, jumped six fences and was foot-perfect.

“He was foot-perfect jumping around Kempton – after he’d got rid of Tom. I just think he was a little bit fresh last week since the Tingle Creek.

“We hadn’t done a lot with him to try to get him there in good form but I just think he was a little bit gung-ho.

“Anyway, he’s going to do plenty of work and hopefully he’ll head to Ascot on the 21st.

“He’s very full of himself, quite boisterous. Ascot will be the plan all being well and we’ll look at the Game Spirit in between (Ascot and Cheltenham).”

Watson keen to test Grove Road up in class

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Archie Watson will step Grove Road up in class for his next outing as the trainer bids to find out if he has a Cheltenham Festival contender on his hands.

The Mahler gelding won a bumper in December 2021 and opened his account over hurdles at Carlisle in October.

Upped to an extended three and a quarter miles in soft ground at Hereford, he gained a neck success over previously unbeaten Mr Vango, with the pair well clear of the remainder.

Now the Upper Lambourn handler will hand the Hambleton Racing-owned seven-year-old a stiffer test, with the River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster on January 28 pencilled in.

“We are very happy with him – he has come out of the race well,” said Watson.

“He has done nothing wrong under rules – he’s won his bumper and a novice hurdle, and now a novice hurdle under a penalty.

“He was going to go to Cheltenham for a Grade Two, but that meeting was called off, so it was good that they put that meeting on at Hereford. It was a good time-frame for us.

“The River Don is the next race for him now.”

Anything Grove Road achieves over hurdles is a bonus, according to Watson, whose yard has sent out eight jumps winners from just 20 runners this term.

He added: “We’ll see how he runs in either one or two of those Grade Twos before Cheltenham and then see if he ends up an Albert Bartlett horse, or whether we look towards handicaps.

“Long-term, his future was always going to be over fences. He’s a very straightforward horse, nice to deal with, nice to look after.”

Watson added: “We have had plenty of jumps winners. My wife, Brodie, trains them mostly. She gets the credit. It is a lot of fun and we have a good strike-rate.”