Grand National Weights: Reaction from the trainers

Feb 7 2008 Chris Wright

THE weights were unveiled for this year’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, April 5 at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel in London on Tuesday.

Here are the views of Liverpool-born handicapper Phil Smith, who framed the race, and also what some of the leading trainers of those horses entered at this stage thought of them.

Senior Handicapper Phil Smith

“Each year the quality of the race goes higher and higher. And like anyone involved in racing, you want to see the better horses running.

“I am trying to give every horse an even chance and it doesn’t matter to me where the horse is from be it Ireland, France or wherever.

“This is the 10th time I have done the race. I started on Thursday and it is no different to any I have done before. I usually go through about four versions, and it has been up to six in the past, but funnily this time the first one is the finished one.

“The basic structure is set around horses with previous course form, those who have ran in the National, the Becher, the Topham but all of it revolves around the top weight.

“Beef Or Salmon was the starting point and I think almost everyone would agree he was the best horse. I had to think about the top weight a bit more with Beef Or Salmon, Celestial Gold, Turpin Green and Hedgehunter. But the more I looked at it Beef Or Salmon was always going to be top weight. He has got 10 Grade One wins to his name. Beef Or Salmon has got the best CV of a top weight in any of the Grand National I have done.

“He was only six lengths behind Denman at Christmas and purely on that Denman would be in the race on 12st4lb. He is rated 167 in Ireland and I have him on 159.

“Beef Or Salmon has had two good performances at Haydock, not so good at Cheltenham of course, and historically Haydock has been a good trail for the National. Red Rum used to run there.

“Hedgehunter ran off 158 last year. The weight is the same as last year. He was second off 156 he is on that again and he seems to have had a better preparation than last year.

“Balance the knowledge that he can perform on the track with his age, he is a 12-year-old.

“Mr Pointment showed fantastic form over the course and his Becher Chase win was incredibly impressive.

“I doubt we have got to the bottom of the horse, so let’s see what he can do.

“Some people also have come up to me and said they think Bewleys Berry is thrown in on the handicap, but I disagree as I have rated him against Mr Pointment in their run at Aintree.

“The Topham winner (Dunbrody Millar), the Sefton winner (Lampion Du Bost) and the Becher Chase placed horses have been promoted as much as I feel I can to get them in.

“It is to try and encourage people to run at Aintree. It is amazing how horses do who have run on the track. The best example of that is Theatre Knight on 10st2lb. He has been second and fourth over the fences. He is 125 up to 135. They will be ecstatic over that because it gives him a chance of getting in.

“Looking at the stats the last three years the top 75 have the chance of getting in, so those on around 10st4lb should be able to get a run if they want to.

“Whichever 40 lines up I just want it to be a competitive race. It doesn’t bother me if the top weight wins or one on 10st3lb. As long as everybody goes into the race thinking they have got a decent chance is good enough for me.”

Michael Hourigan

Beef Or Salmon 11st 12lb, Hi Cloy 11st9lb

Hourigan said: “Beef Or Salmon is a runner as of now and is a wonderful horse.

“He has been a star to the stable and to me. We’ll see how he runs on Sunday in the Hennessy, but all the jockeys who have ridden him like Paul Carberry and Timmy Murphy say he feels like a National horse.

“I think he would love the challenge of a National - he stays well and would appreciate soft ground. I did expect he would have top weight.”

Jonjo O’Neill

Butler’s Cabin 11st, Bob Hall 10st8lb, Drombeag 10st3lb, Risk Accessor 10st1lb, Innox 9st13lb

O’Neill said: “Butler’s Cabin seems in good form and he does jump and stay. He hasn’t been to Aintree before but I think he is big enough to take to the fences and if he does take to them then he has a live chance.

“He ran well first time out at Leicester but was very disappointing on Saturday at Sandown.

“He ran no race but seems okay after it. He did collapse after his races at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse and that might have got to him and he might be thinking about it.

“We have had him checked out and he seems fine and we'll have to give him another run before Aintree.”

Peter Bowen

Iron Man 11st2lb, McKelvey 10st11lb, Always Waining 10st7lb, Dunbrody Millar 10st3lb, Ballycassidy 10st1lb, Blue Splash, 10st1lb, Lankawi 10st, Tommy Spar 10st, Take The Stand 9st13lb, Irish Wolf 9st11lb, Mr Ed 9st1lb

“You would have to be happy with McKelvey’s weight, as it’s not that much more than he carried last year.

“He’s in really good form and we had the leg checked yesterday and it’s fine. It’s a fair mark for Iron Man as he's done his fair share of winning and when you win that many races, you pay the price.

“Always Waining’s weight should be fine but he wouldn’t be certain to get in. It would be a shame if he didn't, but he could go for the Topham instead.

“I wouldn’t have thought the others would get in off those weights, which is a real shame for Ballycassidy, as he has run really well in the National twice now when something has happened that hasn't been his fault."

Victor Dartnall

Sir Rembrandt 10st 10lb

“He’s going to have a run at Newbury on March 1 in a veterans’ chase and all being well there, he will go to Aintree. I’m happy with his weight - that should be fine.”

Eoin Doyle

No Full 10st9lb

“He’ll be guaranteed to get in, which is good. When he was pulled up at Gowran last time the ground was desperate and I don’t think he likes racing right-handed, so we'll keep him the other way for now.

“We’ll aim him at the National, but we’ll try to win another handicap chase in the meantime.”

Tom George

Kilbeggan Blade 10st4lb, Ballyfoy 9st13lb, Toulouse Lautrec 8st12lb

“They obviously don’t give Kilbeggan Blade much of chance, otherwise he would be higher up. He is the sort of horse, with a little quirk, that the National could bring out the best in. He jumps, gallops and stays and would look like the ideal sort for the race.

“If he gets in it would definitely be the plan to go for the race - I really think Aintree could suit him. The other two won't get in.”

Jessica Harrington

Knight Legend 11st4lb

“I would have thought he would be lower than that. He’s rated 148 or 149, no more than that, so it seems a bit high. I have no idea if he’ll run at this stage.”

Pat Hughes

Point Barrow 10st10lb

“I would be happy enough with that, It’s about the same as he carried last year. The plan is to run in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup Chase later this month and then go straight to the race from there. Hopefully he can have a bit more luck this year.”

Malcolm Jefferson

Roman Ark 10st11lb

“Off that weight we would have to seriously consider going for it. I had been chatting to his owner before we knew the weights and we were considering the Topham for him this year and go for the National the year after, but we will have to have a good look at it this year.

“We have always thought a lot of him and thought one day he could be a National horse - they always used to say a good two-and-a-half-miler was what you needed. His best form is on soft, but I wouldn’t want too much cut as stamina really becomes an issue. I think we'll have a real good look at it.”

Howard Johnson

Bewleys Berry 10st11lb, Backbeat 10st6lb, Theatre Knight 10st2lb, Royal Rosa 9st 7lb

“I’m happy with Bewleys Berry’s weight, very pleased in fact. We’ll give him one more run and then go to Aintree nice and fresh. He’s in at Newbury on Saturday, but I could go to the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster with him.

“Backbeat ran very well over hurdles the other day and he stays well so we’d be happy enough. I’d love it if Theatre Knight could get in off that weight but I’m not sure he will and Royal Rosa probably won’t.”

Charlie Mann

Nadover 10st6lb

“That’s a nice weight – I’d be happy enough with that. He’d be pretty unlucky not to get in off that weight. He runs a week on Thursday and has been prepared for this race.”

Donald McCain

Cloudy Lane 10st8lb, Idle Talk 10st6lb, Bannister Lane 10st

“I’d be happy with Cloudy Lane’s weight - when all's said and done, getting them in the race is the most important thing and he should make it off that rating. It would be nice if Beef Or Salmon were to turn up as we would have a cracking weight then.

“Idle Talk’s weight gives him more of a chance than last year. He’s not certain to go but if we do decide to run, it seems a sensible rating. He ran a very nice race at Doncaster the other day, so no complaints. Bannister Lane might struggle to get in off that weight and he will go for what was the Eider at Newcastle. He will have other years.”

Mick Meagher (Owner Trevor Hemmings’s racing manager)

Turpin Green 11st10lb, Billyvoddan 11st4lb

“Turpin Green is up the top of the weights and that's where we expected him to be. We knew he would be thereabouts. Billyvoddan would have to run up to the level of his third in last year’s Ryanair Chase to have a chance off that weight. We will have to play it by ear and see what we run.”

Tom Mullins

Chelsea Harbour 10st13lb

“At least he is under 11st, and we'll certainly have no trouble in getting a jockey at that weight. I’ll have to have a chat to the owner and we’ll have a good talk about it, but he might never have that sort of weight again, you never know. Stamina isn’t an issue with him, we know he stays but the race is a long way off yet.”

Paul Murphy

Contraband 10st11lb

“I think he will run, but he’s high enough for a horse that hasn’t raced since last year. He is a class horse, he won an Arkle, and he's been out hunting every Saturday to cheer him up a bit. He will have a run at Cheltenham and then probably head straight to Aintree.”

Keith Reveley

Ungaro 11st3lb

“That’s a bit high. I must admit I expected somewhere around the 10st12lb mark but I hadn't really studied the ratings. He would definitely get in off that weight though. The decision on whether he runs will be up to Sir Robert (Ogden, owner) and Barry Simpson (racing manager). He’s a very clever horse and adapts well to things. He hopefully goes for the Racing Post Chase.”

Charlie Swan

Foreman 11st6lb

“That is disappointing. He is 6lb below Beef Or Salmon, yet in a normal handicap he would be giving us well over 10lb. It looks as if he is on the downgrade as well. He is 10, he's not getting any better so at this stage it is doubtful he'd go, but there is only one National.”