Morris breezing in to Echo Irish success

Mar 27 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

MOUSE MORRIS is aiming to follow fellow Irish trainer Ted Walsh by winning the John Smith’s Grand National and Irish Grand National in the same season with Baily Breeze.

Fresh from Hear The Echo’s 33-1 shock victory in the Powers Whiskey-sponsored Irish version at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, the County Tipperary-based handler is eyeing something similar at Aintree a week on Saturday with Baily Breeze, who is generally a 66-1 chance with most bookmakers.

Ireland have virtually dominated the National in the last with six wins in nine seasons, but not since Walsh scored at Aintree with Papillon and stablemate Commanche Court took the Fairyhouse contest in 2000 has any trainer managed to land the double.

Morris is not averse to landing big prizes on this side of the Irish Sea having won the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup with War Of Attrition. But although he is not getting carried away he is hopeful his nine-year-old is capable of running a big race in the 4m4f Aintree marathon

He said: “Baily Breeze is all set for Aintree and would have a squeak if he puts everything together on the day. I’m not worried about him jumping those fences or staying the trip, I would just like the ground good. His last couple of runs have been on bottomless ground and it’s just no good for him.”

Baily Breeze won the Grade Two Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase over 2m4f at Limerick as a novice two seasons ago, but failed to get his head in front again until landing a Clonmel handicap hurdle in April last year.

The Zaffaran gelding has not been at his best in his last two starts, being pulled up and then finishing last at Leopardstown.

He did win a handicap chase at Galway in the autumn and ran well to finish sixth seven lengths behind winner Newbay Prop in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. He was a length ahead of stablemate and Irish National hero Hear The Echo that day.

Baily Breeze has attractive weight of 10st11lb in the National. But Morris said: “He’s a Grade Two winner so he has the ability and he is at the age now when he’s ready for the race. I think he’ll run a big race but I’m never confident in this game.

“The horses were wrong in January and February. They had a bit of a virus but they all seem okay again now.

Another Irish Gold Cup-winning trainer Tom Taaffe thinks Slim Pickings faces a different task this time.

The nine-year-old was a close-up third to Silver Birch 12 months ago but will have to carry at least 11st3lb – 9lb more than in 2007 – in the National for which he is the 12-1 second favourite behind Cloudy Lane with Coral, BlueSquare, Paddy Power and Sportingbet.

Taaffe said: “It’s a very different race this year because it’s a compressed handicap, the lowest-weighted horse will probably carry 10st9lb or 10st10lb I would think. That’s never happened in a National before and it’ll be a higher-class race this year.”

Slim Pickings has not won for two years, but County Kildare trainer Taaffe added: “He’s good. He worked this morning and Barry (Geraghty) sat on him and he worked well, we’re very happy with him.

“The National is the National and we were thrilled with his performance last year, but you’ve got to be lucky in a National and avoid the mayhem.

“Barry rode him last year and they got on really well so there is no reason why he shouldn’t ride him again this year.”

Taaffe has four other horses engaged but Tumbling Dice is likely to be his only other runner.

“The reason that we’re running him is that he jumps National-type fences at home so well and he’s a typical two-and-a-half-mile horse,” he said. “If he takes to the track and to the whole thing, I think he’ll run a really big race.”

TODAY’S NAP: Stand On Me (4.50pm Ayr).

Tickets remain available for all three days of the John Smith’s Grand National Meeting – go to www.aintree.co.uk or ring 0151 522 2929 for more details.