Famous name targeting famous Aintree victory

Apr 5 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

TOM SCUDAMORE believes he is on a “proper National horse” in Madison Du Berlais in today’s John Smith’s Grand National.

The 25-year-old is hopeful that he can break his Aintree duck with the David Pipe-trained nine-year-old.

Scudamore is a name enshrined in racing history and Tom is the latest in long line of family successes.

His great-grandfather Geoffrey was a successful amateur rider. His grandfather Michael won the 1959 Grand National on Oxo, while his father Peter was champion jockey eight times, although like the current title holder Tony McCoy he never won the National.

So far Scudamore has also drew a blank in seven attempts with Blowing Wind’s eighth-place finish behind Monty’s Pass in 2003 and Puntal similar position 12 months ago the only times he has completed the course.

Naturally winning the National would be one of the talented young rider’s burning ambitions.

He said: “When you start of riding you want to ride in the Grand National. And when you become a jockey you want to win it. Obviously it is in our family history and would be the highlight of anyone’s career.

“I have had seven rides it in so far and been round a few times and I think eighth is as close as I’ve got. But hopefully I can put that right this time.”

Like his father, he is stable jockey at the Pipe’s Pond House stables, and feels Madison De Berlais has as good a chance of giving him that so far elusive National winner.

The French-bred gelding has yet to get his head in front this season, but he ran decent races in defeat.

Probably his best effort was when finishing fifth to stable-mate and fellow National hopeful Vodka Bleu in the BGC Silver Cup at Ascot in December.

Scudamore said: “He seems in great form. He hasn’t run since January but we purposely missed Cheltenham to bring him straight here. I thought after riding him at Ascot he would be a proper National horse, and hopefully he can be. We have schooled him over the National-type fences at home and he went well, but you can never really be confident until they are doing it in the heat of the moment.

“He has had a lot of runs now, he has got plenty of experience and the fences don’t hold any fears at the moment.”

One fear, though, Madison Du Berlais has is that he must shoulder just 3lbs less than top weight and former winner Hedgehunter this afternoon. No horse has carried such a welter burden to victory since the great Red Rum. But Scudamore feels the race is evolving and it may be getting easier to triumph from higher up the handicap.

He added: “He is on 11st9lb and that is a lot of weight but I think the National is changing in that even though he has got that weight he doesn’t have to give an awful lot of weight away.

“You are on one of the class horses in the race you have got to give over a stone to plenty. Now I think the bottom weight is 10st7lb, which is more of a compressed handicap which brings the class horses back into play. He is a very, very good horse.”

This afternoon Scudamore can’t wait to find out just how good.

CHRIS WRIGHT’S WEEKEND NAPS: TODAY: Cloudy Times (5.10pm Aintree). TOMORROW: Autograph (5.35pm Hexham).