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MUNDI OUT OF NATIONAL
TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR HORSE RACING FORUM Opera Mundi has been ruled out of the John Smith's Grand National. The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old was withdrawn from the Aintree feature after suffering a setback. Barry Simpson, racing manager for owner Sir Robert Ogden, said: "He's got an infection which has caused swelling in a joint. "We walked the horse last night and he's been on the walker this morning just to see if it can be walked off - but unfortunately it can't. "We could have left it until tomorrow morning but there's a reserve system in place and we want to play the game fairly." Opera Mundi, the intended mount of Liam Heard, was a general 66-1 chance for Aintree glory. "It's a setback for Saturday's race but not a big setback for the horse," added Simpson. "We still hope to take him to the Scottish National or the Whitbread (Sandown's bet365 Gold Cup) at the end of the season." Nigel Twiston-Davies' Ardaghey, the first reserve for the National, has been promoted into the field and subsequently declared a non-runner for this afternoon's totepool Handicap Chase. The nine-year-old will be ridden by David England, while stablemate Naunton Brook is now the mount of Andrew Tinkler. Tony McCoy is a true genius of his craft, setting records that will never be broken and numbering most of racing's biggest races on his glittering CV. But there is one prize the 12-times champion craves most of all - the John Smith's Grand National. It took Frankie Dettori 15 goes to finally win the Derby, and McCoy will be having his 13th attempt at the world's greatest steeplechase when he gets the leg-up on the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Butler's Cabin at Aintree tomorrow. And despite the presence of a number of other JP McManus-owned runners, notably King Johns Castle, McCoy insisted it was not a hard decision to plump for last year's Irish Grand National and Cheltenham Festival winner. "It wasn't a tough choice to ride him, but I've picked the wrong one a few times before," said McCoy, who is the retained rider for legendary Irish gambler McManus. "He's won an Irish National and the four-miler at Cheltenham so you'd have to think that there's not much of a question mark from a staying point of view. "I just thought this one has more potential of winning a Grand National than JP's other entries." Young claimer Aidan Coleman is enjoying a terrific time after linking up with Herefordshire trainer Venetia Williams. The pair were on the mark with 25-1 outsider Stan on Thursday and have a reasonable chance of National glory with the quietly-fancied Mon Mome. Williams said: "I thought long and hard about who was going to ride Mon Mone in the National because obviously Aidan can't claim. "He's a very, very talented rider and I was tossing up between natural talent and experience. I decided that Aidan's natural talent far outweighs experience." Denis O'Regan is another who has blossomed since landing the role of first jockey to the powerful yard of Howard Johnson. O'Regan will be riding Bewleys Berry for the third time, the first having come over the National fences in the Becher Chase in November, when the pair found only Mr Pointment too good. That was the second time the Graham Wylie-owned 10-year-old finished second in that race, while he was going strongly in the National itself 12 months ago before coming to grief at the second Becher's. O'Regan said: "He should run a very big race, but we'd be hoping the ground doesn't dry up too much. "He's had two good runs in the Becher Chase, so he should handle the course no problem. "I've schooled him at home over Aintree-type fences and he jumped well. He's in good shape and I'm looking forward to it. "He has a good racing weight compared to some of them. There's nothing on 10st who will be going off flat-out, so it'll be a really good, competitive handicap this year. "I had my first ride last year (on Ballycassidy) and got buried at the Canal Turn the second time around, but hopefully I'll get further this year. "The main thing is to get around safe and anything after that is a bonus." Johnson is sweet on Bewleys Berry's chance and would be realising a lifetime's ambition should he win. He said: "We've been close in the past - Over The Deel came third (in 1995) and Old Applejack was seventh and eight and I've always been lucky over the big fences in the Topham and Becher. "He's schooled over National-type fences and is the one I've been really waiting for - with a clear run he should be thereabouts. "The thing with him is that he just jumps from fence to fence, last year he was going so well and it was unfortunate that he just knuckled over. "I think he'll run very well and if he did win I'd retire if I didn't have Mr Wylie - the race is something I've dreamed about for 35 years." A major stumbling block to McCoy's chances on Butler's Cabin is likely to be the five-strong squad of the in-form David Pipe. Fresh from the victory of Our Vic over Kauto Star on day one of the Aintree meeting, allied with a decent Cheltenham Festival, Pipe is on a high. Timmy Murphy opted for Comply Or Die from the three David Johnson-owned runners and Pipe said: "He is the second favourite and comes to Aintree in great form. "He schooled nicely over the Aintree-type fences at home. He finished second behind Cloudy Lane in the Tommy Whittle at Haydock, beaten two and a half lengths, and he's 4lb better off on Saturday. "He then went on and won the Eider over four miles and a furlong at Newcastle. He's bred to jump and stay and, with a bit of luck, he could go very close." Pipe continued: "Vodka Bleu has a chance at a big price. "Timmy was always going to ride him because this race has been mapped out for him for a long time. But after Comply Or Die's performance at Newcastle he decided to swap. "You can't blame him after that performance under top weight over four miles and one." The Pipe hand is completed by Joaaci, Madison Du Berlais and Milan Deux Mille. Pipe added: "All five have schooled well at home. Vodka Bleu and Milan Deux Mille have run in the Topham so they've got some experience over the National fences. "They're all old-fashioned steeplechasers which is what you need for a race like this. "The National is different to what it was a few years ago. There's a stone and 5lb between top and bottom (weights) so it's a lot more of a compressed handicap nowadays. "It's not so much of a lottery as it used to be. "Don't get me wrong, it's still a difficult race to win, but maybe the class horse wins the race these days." Tony Dobbin tasted National glory in 1997 on Lord Gyllene, the year the race was run on a Monday following a bomb scare on the big day. Dobbin has picked up a decent spare ride for this year's renewal in the shape of the Pat Hughes-trained Point Barrow, sent off the 8-1 co-favourite 12 months ago only to fall at the first fence. Dobbin said: "Hopefully I'll get further with him than he did last year! "To be fair, he was a deserving favourite - he'd won the Irish Grand National and is a decent horse. "Back to his best he'll have a right squeak hopefully." TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR HORSE RACING FORUM
By Bettingzone.co.uk Used with permission. |
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