Mersey return Points way back to Aintree

Feb 12 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

HIS last visit to Merseyside was almost over before it started, but Pat Hughes is hoping Point Barrow can put himself in line for another crack at the John Smith’s Grand National with a big run in Saturday’s Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock.

The 10-year-old went into last year’s Aintree showpiece as favourite following his win in the Irish Grand National in 2006. But he came down at the first fence as fellow Irish raider Silver Birch went on to land the spoils.

Undaunted by that Hughes is looking to head to Aintree again on April 5 for another attempt to win the 4m4f marathon.

And he believes his charge is returning to form at the right time having finished a decent fourth in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park last month in testing conditions.

Hughes is hoping Saturday’s extended 3m4f Haydock contest, for which he was among the 24 declarations at yesterday’s five-day stage, is just the race for Point Barrow to show his well-being ahead of the National.

Hughes said: “Point Barrow has come out of his run in the Thyestes Chase really well and he showed some real ability under top weight on that occasion.

“He’ll love good to soft ground on Saturday. He always runs a decent race on faster ground in the spring but I think he’s slightly better with a bit of cut under him.

“He sported blinkers for the first time at Gowran Park and they seemed to help him lay up early on in the race, so he will be wearing them again on Saturday.

“This will be his last run before going to Aintree for the Grand National in April. He’s fit, well and has always been a horse for the second half of the season, so I’m hopeful for a good show on Saturday.”

Unlike the Grand National, in which Irish-trained horses have won six times in the last nine years, those from the Emerald Isle have not took this Saturday’s £125,000 Grade Three contest for 13 years since Pat Fahy’s Nuaffe scored in 1995. Point Barrow is one of two Irish raiders along with Arthur Moore’s King Johns Castle, runner-up in the Pierse Handicap Chase at Leopardstown.

Point Barrow is 10-1 with BlueSquare to win at Haydock on Saturday and a best-priced 25-1 with BetFred for the National.

Heading Saturday’s weights on 11st12lb is John Spearing’s Simon, who is also likely to head to Aintree and is generally 16-1 for the National.

Coral Welsh National winner Miko De Beauchene is currently a best-priced 6-1 favourite with Ladbrokes to give Robert and Sally Alner more big-race success following The Listener’s win in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Ossmoses, who won Saturday’s race in 2006, may line up again as could last year’s runner-up L’Aventure, one of three entries from champion trainer Paul Nicholls with Geeveem and Opera Mundi also included.

A high-class seven-race card at Haydock this Saturday also includes two Grade Two contests in the £30,000 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the £40,000 RealholidayReports.com Rendlesham Hurdle.

The ground at Haydock is currently soft, but clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright expects it to improve and be just on the soft side of good by the weekend with a dry week expected.

HAYDOCK details: Haydock Park’s seven-race card sees the first race due off at 12.35pm with the last at 4pm. Admission is £34 in the Premier Suite, £23 County Enclosure, £14 Tattersalls and £7 Newton Enclosure. Accompanied children under 16 enter free. Senior citizens and students, with appropriate identification enter Tattersalls and the Newton Enclosure at half price. For details got to the website www.haydock-park.co.uk

TODAYS’ NAP: Ravenscar (3.10pm Newcastle).