After assisting Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls to break a lengthy 16-year medal drought when they secured bronze at this year’s Vitality Netball World Cup in South Africa, Shanice Beckford toyed with the idea of retirement.
At that time, Beckford was convinced that she had accomplished all she set out to in a fairly successful career spanning 10 years. After all, she was also a part of three teams that won Commonwealth Games medals in 2014, 2018 and 2022, that goes along with Fast5 medals in 2013, 2017 and 2018, as well as a 2015 stint in England’s Superleague.
The only void Beckford felt as she reflected on her journey, was the fact that she didn’t parade her skills in the Australian Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League, though she had already given up on that dream.
But as fate would have it, a one-year deal with SSN outfit West Coast Fever came at an opportune time for Beckford, who was virtually at her wits' end.
“I am still processing to be honest. The thought of playing in the SSN has been a lingering desire of mine for years, and I had given up on the idea, so I am beyond elated that this opportunity that I have been waiting for has now materialized at this point in my career,” Beckford told SportsMax.TV.
“I feel incredibly fortunate, as this opportunity comes at a critical juncture in my life. Lately, I have been struggling to find the motivation to play netball at all levels, but this signing has reignited my passion and gives me a new sense of purpose. I am grateful for this saving grace and will do everything in my power to make the most of this incredible opportunity,” she noted.
“It is not just a dream come true, but a significant milestone in my netball career and life. The prospect of playing in the SNL has always been a driving force that has kept me motivated and inspired me to become a better player. This is a new chapter and phase in my journey, and I am ready to embrace it,” a beaming Beckford added.
The talented goal-attack will join Sunshine Girls teammates, ace shooter Jhaniele Fowler, and defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney at the Perth-based franchise for the 2024 season.
Besides the fact that it is an opportunity to add to her accomplishments, Beckford is well aware of the responsibility that comes with her new contract. It is a responsibility that she embraces but she is also focused on her commitment to her body.
“I am taking the same steps that everyone does while in a professional environment. It is important to be training at a high level, but it is also equally important to make sure you are taking care of your body so that you can be fit to perform at the highest level.
“So, for this new chapter in my life, it is almost like a whole new ball game. Although I am unable to join my team in Australia at the moment, I am keeping myself physically fit by following the necessary training programs, and mentally, I am working on getting my head in right space, basically a renewed mindset, and just preparing myself for the challenges that lie ahead,” Beckford shared.
To say that the 28-year-old has become one of world netball’s most influential and best performed goal attacks, would be an understatement. With a significant workload and craftiness on court, a deadly accurate shot, and a cheerful personality, it is safe to say that Beckford will have little issues fitting into the new environment.
In fact, it would come as no surprise if the Dan Ryan-coached 2022 champions were to extend Beckford’s contract at the end of the season. But for now, the 5ft 9in tall goal-attack is focused on the immediate task at hand.
“I'm feeling a bit nervous and anxious, but also very excited to bring my years of experience to this new opportunity and to continue learning, as there's always room for improvement. I have the right tools to play at a high level. So, my overall goal is to make the most of this new challenge so that I can continue to grow as both a person and a player,” Beckford declared.
“I just want to maintain an open mind and be willing to embrace new ideas and perspectives. Consistency is also crucial as it helps to build momentum and produce results. Hard work is a given, but being open to learning new ways of doing things is equally important. Finally, it's also about having a great season and more importantly, having fun while doing it, building strong relationships, and making meaningful progress,” she ended.
Officials at Wetherby have been left with no option but to abandon the second day of the track’s William Hill Yorkshire Christmas Meeting due to a waterlogged track.
The West Yorkshire circuit played host to its traditional Boxing Day fixture on Tuesday, with the Venetia Williams-trained Fontaine Collonges taking the featured Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase.
Another seven-race card was due to take place on Wednesday, with the William Hill Castleford Chase the main event, but significant rainfall overnight has left standing water on parts of the track and clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson has been forced to draw stumps.
He said: “The forecasters said we’d get 20 millimetres (of rain) in a 12 to 15 hour period from around 3am to 3pm or 4pm this afternoon, but when I got here just after 6am we’d had nine millimetres and that’s already doubled in the next three hours.
“It’s just the volume of rain we’ve had in that timeframe really and we’ve got another 10 millimetres still to come according to the forecast.
“There isn’t a fence down the back straight we could jump due to the ground being saturated and areas of false ground.”
Leicester’s meeting on Thursday is also under threat, with a precautionary inspection announced for 3.45pm this afternoon due to a “forecast of continuous rain on Wednesday”.
The chase races at Uttoxeter on New Year’s Eve have already been called off, meaning the Staffordshire venue will now stage an all hurdle and bumper card.
A facile victory to open his account on December 17, was a clear indicator of Intrestntimesahead’s immense potential, and so it came as no surprise that the Jason DaCosta-trained charge left rivals in his wake to top the Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL)-sponsored Jamaica Two-year-old stakes over a mile (1,600 metres) at Caymanas Park on Tuesday.
Piloted by the bustling Phillip Parchment, Intrestntimesahead romped the 10-horse Futurity contest –in which he was one of only two colts in the field–by three lengths and pocketed the $4 million purse for his connections.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, Intrestntimesahead, running from the number six draw, was held off the pace in fifth by Parchment, as stablemate Banadura (Robert Halledeen) dominated proceedings, with Matuso (Raddesh Roman) for company down the backstretch.
Comehometome (Reyan Lewis), and Run Julie Run (Omar Walker) were also in touching distance, as the leaders approached the half-mile mark, and it was at that point that Parchment got Intrestntimesahead into his running.
When they left there and headed towards the stretch run, Run Julie Run took aim at Banadura, and easily swept by the longtime leader as they straightened, but by then, Intrestntimesahead, had hit top stride and burst through on the rails.
From there, the writing was on the walls, as the Bold Conquest -My Friend Lucy charge, owned by Elizabeth DaCosta, covered the distance in a 1:39.2, behind splits of 24.0, 46.3 and 1:13.1.
Run Julie Run stayed on for second, with Fastnfuriouslinks (Javaniel Patterson) and Buttercup (Tevin Foster) completing the frame.
Meanwhile, veteran rider Oneil Mullings topped his peers with winners on the 10-race Boxing Day card. Mullings won the first and eighth events aboard Lion Talk for trainer Ryan Williams and Ricardo Brown’s City Hawk.
Suncorp Super Netball club, the New South Wales Swifts, issued a statement on Tuesday thanking Jamaican goal-shooter Romelda Aiken-George for her contributions to the club during the 2023 season.
After 14 successful seasons with the Queensland Firebirds which included three titles, Aiken-George joined the Swifts for the 2023 season as a replacement for injured goal-shooter Sam Wallace.
The Jamaican was instrumental as the Swifts finished the season as runners-up to the Adelaide Thunderbirds, losing the grand final by just two points (62-64).
“The Swifts would like to thank Romelda Aiken-George and her family for their amazing contribution to our Club in 2023,” the statement began.
It continued, “Once a respected rival, Romelda came to us as one of the most celebrated players in our game and departs with her reputation even more enhanced. What a ride it was.”
Aiken-George has signed with the Thunderbirds for the 2024 season.
“We wish her all the best for the next chapter in Adelaide and look forward to welcoming her back to Ken Rosewall Arena in the future,” the statement concluded.
Shishkin left his starting woes behind him at Kempton – only to be dealt a cruel blow when departing the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase with everything still very much to play for.
Nicky Henderson’s mercurial character had refused to race at Ascot on his seasonal debut and while connections reported him to be in good form at home, the only thing they could not be completely sure of was if he would jump off.
His talent has never been in doubt as a multiple Grade One winner over both hurdles and fences, but ever since beating Energumene in an epic duel for the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January 2022, Shishkin has endured a series of ups and downs.
He was found to be suffering from a rare bone condition when pulling up in the Champion Chase of that year, then was beaten on his return last season in the Tingle Creek and immediately stepped up in trip.
Successful at Ascot on his next outing, he stayed on for second in the Ryanair Chase before flying home to win at Aintree on his first run over three miles – but he opted to take no part at Ascot last month.
He did start with the others in the King George, and although Nico de Boinville did have to roust him along early he soon warmed up and took over in front from Frodon after the first circuit.
Approaching the second-last he was in the lead and seemingly had Allaho and Bravemansgame beaten when he got his feet tangled a couple of strides after jumping the fence, giving De Boinville no chance of staying on board.
That allowed 12-1 outsider Hewick to claim an unlikely victory as he stormed past Allaho and Bravemansgame, leaving Henderson to take the positives from Shishkin’s luckless run.
“I think they say – ‘that’s racing!’,” he said.
“I was delighted with him until then. To be fair, Nico and I had discussed the start (of the race) at length, but we hadn’t really discussed the rest of the race. But he was having a good time, he was jumping great.
“There was all this talk of having to put cheekpieces on him and things – we took them off because it was the obvious thing to do. I think a lot of people thought it might help him, but he didn’t look as if he needed them there did he?
“It appears, and those that have watched the replay have said, that he didn’t do anything wrong. He just sort of stumbled and forgot to get the foot out.”
On future plans for Shishkin, he said: “He’s got to go for the Gold Cup hasn’t he, because that’s the obvious race? He’s not going to come back in trip I wouldn’t have thought. I suppose that’s what we’ll have to do.”
De Boinville said: “I’m very proud of the horse but these things happen.
“I think it was three strides after the fence he came down, I’m not sure what happened. Racing can be cruel.
“He behaved well and I’ve never had a roar like that from a crowd for getting to my feet.”
Defending champion Bravemansgame was beaten a length and a half into second and his trainer Paul Nicholls felt Shishkin’s departure had scuppered his challenge.
He said: “Harry (Cobden) said he was getting a bit of tow from the other horse (Shishkin) for as long as he could, then the other horse had an unfortunate incident, and that interfered with him and that stopped him dead and cost him any chance then.
“He has run a good, solid race. It is a case of ifs and buts. He has run a good race again, and he was staying on strongly again and picked up the crumbs. I’ve never doubted that he stays. He is better on better ground.
“We will get him fresh and well now and go to Cheltenham. I don’t think he needs to go to Newbury as he has had three hard races. Unfortunately he got stopped dead in his tracks today, but you can’t make excuses as incidents happen and he wasn’t good enough on the day.”
Cheltenham Festival winner The Real Whacker was always on the back foot and finished fourth for Sam Twiston-Davies, beaten just over 10 lengths.
His trainer Patrick Neville said: “He stayed on really well at the end, which I was happy with.
“He missed the start for some reason today and we were always chasing after that. I like the way he stayed on at the end and the Gold Cup is still on the agenda. Cheltenham is a place that he likes.
“I think we might go straight to the Gold Cup. Sam said he was always on the back foot, but he just missed the start. There was no one to blame. It was a good run and I’m happy. He has come out of the race well.
“Fair play to the winner, and I‘d take finishing fourth in a King George any day.”
Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness will bid for a first Grade One success in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown on Wednesday.
The gelding is a consistent type who was second in a string of contests at the same level last season, including in this race behind Blue Lord 12 months ago.
He returned to action this term to win the Fortria Chase at Navan by an impressive seven lengths, a performance regular rider Rachael Blackmore regards as one of his best.
“Captain Guinness was brilliant in winning the Fortria Chase at Navan last month on his seasonal return. He jumped super. I think that it was one of the best performances of his life,” she told Betfair.
“It seems like he has been around for ages, but he is only eight, he could have improved again a little this season. He finished second in this race last year behind Blue Lord, and it would be great if he could go one better this year. He hasn’t missed a beat since Navan, and I’m sure he will put up another solid performance.
“He has won Grade Three races and Grade Two races, and he has finished second in Grade One races three times. He is such a consistent horse, he is such a favourite in the yard, it would be brilliant if he could get his Grade One win on the board here.”
Willie Mullins will saddle every one of the remaining four runners, with Dinoblue joined by Dysart Dynamo, Saint Roi and Gentleman De Mee.
The latter horse will be ridden by Paul Townend as he makes his seasonal debut and Mark Walsh will take the ride on Dinoblue, the apparent first string for owner JP McManus.
“Mark Walsh has opted to ride Dinoblue here. She made a winning start this year at Naas and gets 7lb so she is an improver,” Townend said in his blog for Ladbrokes.
“I have Gentleman De Mee who was a very good winner at the course at the Dublin Racing Festival last season.
“It is his first run back and his first run isn’t always his best, so that is a little concern. He is the highest-rated horse in the field.
“Captain Guinness beat Dysart Dynamo at Navan earlier this year and he will take a lot of beating with race fitness on his side. If my horse can run to his best, then we will see, I am really looking forward to riding him.”
Townend also rides Daddy Long Legs in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, a Grade One contested over two miles that will be the chestnut’s second run for new connections.
Second in his sole French start before joining Mullins, he made an impression when winning a Thurles maiden hurdle by 13 lengths in late November.
“We have plenty of runners in this, but I picked Daddy Long Legs. I really liked what he did at Thurles,” Townend said of the ride.
“He quickened up really smartly down the hill. Down Memory Lane (Gordon Elliott) was very impressive in the north (Down Royal) and will take a lot of beating.
“There is a lot of depth in this race. I like the way my horse did it at Thurles. He is a very smart horse and is my best ride of the day.”
Facile Vega proved a bitter disappointment as Found A Fifty claimed Grade One honours in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Having struck gold at the highest level in the bumper sphere and over hurdles, the Willie Mullins-trained Facile Vega was the 1-2 favourite to complete the set following a comfortable victory on his chasing debut at Navan last month.
With Paul Townend making the trip to Kempton to partner Allaho in the King George, Patrick Mullins was reunited with Facile Vega for the first time since he rounded off his unbeaten bumper campaign in the spring of 2022, but odds-on backers were ultimately left counting their losses.
Gordon Elliott’s Found A Fifty, who won on his fencing bow at Down Royal before chasing home I Am Maximus in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse three weeks ago, was unsurprisingly ridden aggressively by Jack Kennedy as he stepped back from two and a half miles to two miles and a furlong on the outskirts of Dublin.
The six-year-old showed a tendency to edge right at his fences, impeding Facile Vega on a couple of occasions, which prompted Patrick Mullins to switch inside racing down the back straight and he soon took over the lead.
Facile Vega looked to be travelling the better of the pair rounding the home turn, but while he faltered quickly to finish last of four runners, Found A Fifty kept galloping for Kennedy and passed the post with a length and a half in hand over My Mate Mozzie.
“He’s very quirky, but he’s got a massive engine,” Elliott said of the winner.
“To get a Grade One winner is brilliant as it looked like we were unlucky in Aintree (Farren Glory fell in Formby Novices’ Hurdle).
“Jack gave Found A Fifty a wonderful ride. He had to use his head everywhere as he even went to have a look at the rail after the first fence.
“He’s a good horse. He was actually the highest-rated novice chaser in England or Ireland coming into the race today but there is a quirk in him – most good ones have a little bit of a quirk.”
Elliott was also keen to praise his stable jockey, who has suffered more than his fair share of injuries in recent years.
The trainer added: “Jack is different class. He’s just a lovely fella. At home you wouldn’t even pick him out in the string. He’d ride a horse leg length and be nagging and twisting. He’s just a bit different.
“We’re very lucky to have him, holding onto him and keeping him in one piece now would be the problem.”
Hewick – a horse who cost just £800 – came from last to first to win a remarkable Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton.
Trained by Shark Hanlon and ridden by man of the moment Gavin Sheehan, he looked to have no chance at all for most of the race.
Shishkin had taken up the running from Frodon with over a mile to run and injected pace which had seemed too much for Hewick (12-1).
Turning into the straight Shishkin was going the best, with Bravemansgame and Allaho being ridden to keep in touch.
Over the second-last Shishkin was still seemingly in control, but having jumped the fence perfectly well he lost his footing a stride or two after, unseating Nico de Boinville.
That left Allaho in front and he was being challenged again by Bravemansgame, but coming into contention and just hitting full stride was Hewick.
Sheehan got a great jump out of him at the last and he swept on by to win by a length and a half from last year’s winner Bravemansgame.
National Hunt superstar Constitution Hill made a perfect return to action when strolling to victory in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
Winning the race for the second season in succession, Nicky Henderson’s charge was sent off the 1-12 favourite taking on just four rivals.
This ended up being his first race of the season after plans to run him in the Fighting Fifth, originally at Newcastle and then in the rearranged version at Sandown, were spoiled by the weather.
While that may have given his rivals some hope he was a little behind schedule, those thoughts were soon banished.
Paul Nicholls’ Rubaud set the pace and Harry Cobden tried to wind it up before the turn for home, but Nico de Boinville was sat in his slipstream.
He pulled Constitution Hill out to challenge on the run to the second-last and the champion hurdler absolutely flew it, taking two lengths out of Rubaud and immediately putting the race to bed.
He was allowed to cruise home for a nine-and-a-half-length win, with Coral subsequently trimming him to 1-3 from 2-5 to retain his Champion Hurdle title in March.
Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie battled on gamely to see off Favour And Fortune to win the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
The race was formerly registered as the Tolworth Hurdle and was being run for the first time at Aintree instead of Sandown.
That was a move that did not go down too well with Henderson at the time, although he may have a different take now after the four-year-old, having just his second race under rules, provided James Bowen with a first Grade One success.
In a race which highlighted the ups and downs of racing perfectly, Bowen’s brother Sean, riding Gordon Elliott’s Farren Glory, seemed to be travelling best of all before falling in the home straight.
Jango Baie (17-2) had beaten Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename narrowly on their respective hurdling debuts at Ascot and the two met again. But Pauling’s charge, having jumped and travelled well until the home straight, soon dropped away.
It was Cannock Park who led for much of the journey and he did not give way until the second-last when the front two pulled away, with Jango Baie winning by two and three-quarter lengths after a good tussle.
Bowen told Racing TV: “It went well, I travelled well, he was a bit keen but he was a lot keener the last day.
“He finished his race off really well and I think he’ll probably want a bit further in time.
“Sean looked to be going really well and at the time I didn’t know what he had left, he did look to be going well, though.
“The best I’d done in a Grade One was finishing third on Top Notch in the Long Walk (2018), that’s the closest I’d been before today.
“He hit the line hard and he’s obviously improving, he’s a Grade One horse now so hopefully he’ll have some nice targets.”
Il Est Francais put up a sparkling jumping display to win the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on his British debut at Kempton.
Part-owned by an Englishman in Richard Kelvin-Hughes, ridden by one in James Reveley and trained jointly by another Englishman in Noel George, he was representing France in no uncertain terms.
Still only five, Il Est Francais had carried almost all before him in France and from an early stage had most of his rivals under pressure with his cruising speed and accurate jumping.
Whether meeting fences on a long or short stride, the 13-8 chance made only one semblance of an error over the three miles and Reveley, son of former trainer Keith and a multiple champion jockey in France since moving there, always knew what he had underneath him.
Paul Nicholls’ Hermes Allen briefly looked a threat but once Il Est Francais was asked to put the race to bed, he soon opened up a distance between them again and in the end won by 11 lengths.
George trains in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm, while the winner is jointly owed by Haras De Saint-Voir, who also bred the gelding.
Kala Conti upstaged her better-fancied stablemate Mighty Bandit to provide Gordon Elliott with a third victory in the last four runnings of the Mercedes-Benz South Dublin Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The Cullentra handler saddled Zanahiyr and Fil Dor to claim back-to-back wins in the Grade Two contest in 2020 and 2021, while subsequent Triumph Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth struck gold for Willie Mullins last season.
Having made a big impression on his hurdling debut at Punchestown, Mighty Bandit was the 13-8 favourite to double his tally in the hands of Elliott’s stable jockey Jack Kennedy, with Kala Conti rated his biggest threat by bookmakers at 7-2.
The latter was narrowly beaten by the reopposing Nurburgring in a Grade Three at Fairyhouse last month, but under a positive ride from Danny Gilligan turned the tables in determined fashion – digging deep to beat the Mullins-trained Kargese by three-quarters of a length, with Nurburgring a close-up third and Mighty Bandit disappointing in ninth.
“It was a good performance, she was tough,” Elliott said of the winner. “She didn’t lose much in defeat the last day, only that she got beat. We’re happy today.
“I’d say she likes a good gallop, she’ll stay very well.”
Of Mighty Bandit, he added: “Jack said he thought he was cantering everywhere but he just cut out. We’ll get him checked out and see.”
Edward O’Grady believes he has found a horse to send him back into the big time after No Flies On Him made an impressive debut under rules in the opening race of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
While no stranger to top-level success having trained the likes of Golden Cygnet, Sound Man and Back In Front, the veteran trainer has not saddled a Grade One winner since 2011.
Having won his sole start in the point-to-point field, when he beat the Formby Novices’ Hurdle winner Jango Baie, the JP McManus-owned No Flies On Him was prominent in the market at 3-1 for the TRI Equestrian Maiden Hurdle.
Ridden positively from the outset by Mark Walsh, the Westerner gelding found plenty in the straight to score by a length and three-quarters.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with him,” said O’Grady.
“I chose him as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale, JP very kindly let me pick one out. He in turn then sent him for a proper education, to boarding school with Derek O’Connor, who did a fantastic job with him. Then he came back to me this autumn.
“He has a wonderful pedigree – his great grandmother is the dam of Makybe Diva, who won three Melbourne Cups.
“He looks like a very promising horse. I’ve had a lot of swans in the last few years and they’ve all turned out to be geese, but I think this fella might stay a swan.
“He’ll have to be entered in a Grade One anyway and, fingers crossed, I think he might just get there.
“Hopefully he stays lucky, stays right and healthy. I’ve been waiting for one like this for too long, thank God the number six bus has arrived and I’d love if a second one would arrive in a hurry!”
McManus and Walsh were widely expected to complete a quickfire double in the following Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle, with the highly-touted Naas bumper winner Mirazur West already prominent in ante-post lists for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival ahead of his hurdling bow.
However, after racing keenly on the front end, the 5-6 shot was unable to fend off the challenge of Gordon Elliott’s King Of Kingsfield (15-8), who was opening his account over timber after three successive runner-up finishes, including when chasing home stablemate Farren Glory in the Grade One Royal Bond at Fairyhouse three weeks ago.
Elliott said: “That was great. We were riding him all wrong and the last day we changed our minds in the Grade One.
“Jack (Kennedy) was delighted with the way he settled and he jumped well, so we’re very happy.
“He’s not a bad horse and to be honest he had disappointed me up until now as I always thought he was a proper horse. He might just come good now, I’d say the ground could be key to him as well.”
When asked if he could return to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival, he added: “I’d imagine he’ll head for a Grade One there all being well.”
Sam Thomas hailed Iwilldoit as “the horse of a lifetime” as he goes in search of a second win in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.
Gold Cup-winning rider Thomas has been training since 2015 and Iwilldoit has provided him with two of his biggest wins to date.
Not content with winning this marathon contest in 2021, some 383 days later without the aid of another run he landed the Classic Chase at Warwick.
His comeback this year was over hurdles at Aintree, a pleasing effort in a Pertemps qualifier where he finished two lengths behind the useful Gentleman At Arms.
The 10-year-old will now return to fences and Thomas is hoping he will be in his element when partnered by 7lb claimer Dylan Johnston.
“We’re absolutely over the moon with him and he’s in great form,” said Thomas.
“He had a prep run at Aintree a little while ago now and has had plenty of time to recover from that. He’s since had a couple of away days and is in a really good place, we’re really happy with him.
“He will want it as soft as possible and we have decided to claim off him as well, taking 7lb off his back. We just feel if we’re ever going to go and win it again – he’s not getting any younger – we just want to do everything we can to give him every chance.
“Dylan was put to me by Olly Murphy a while ago and I’ve since used him on another horse. He’s a very good young lad and has a wise head on young shoulders. It’s a lot of responsibility for a 7lb claimer in a big race and the last thing we want to do is put any pressure on a young lad, but he looks like he will be fine.
“He’s been amazing for us and he would be a horse of a lifetime for any yard really. We’ve won some nice, big races with him and fingers crossed we can keep him in one piece and this might not be his last Welsh National yet.”
Joe Tizzard will saddle The Big Breakaway, an eight-year-old who finished second in the race last year and is regular in these staying chases.
His most recent outing was in the Becher Chase at Aintree earlier in the month, where he was pulled up when not taking to the task over the Grand National fences.
The chestnut has had a day’s hunting to reignite his enthusiasm and Tizzard would love to see him go one better than last year to take the trophy run in memory of his late sister Kim Gingell.
“He let us down a bit in the Becher Chase, he just didn’t take to it – simple as that – but he didn’t have a hard race,” he said.
“He went hunting on Saturday and he proved last year that he’s capable of running a massive race.
“It’s the last year of the race being run in memory of Kim, so we will have the blinkers back on him and hope he runs a massive race. I think he has a big one in him, but he has let me down and we left the blinkers off over the big fences and now they are back on.
“He proved last year with a lot of weight he is capable of doing it, it just all needs to click.”
Fergal O’Brien’s team is in good form and he runs Autonomous Cloud in the race, a seven-year-old who made a winning start to the term when taking a Uttoxeter chase by six and a half lengths in November.
“He had his prep run at Uttoxeter a few weeks ago and if you could have planned a prep run, you couldn’t have planned it any better because there were three of them in a line and unfortunately one fell at the third-last and brought down the other one, so he had a gallop round for three miles but didn’t have a hard race,” O’Brien explained.
“That was ideal and he’s been training really well and we’re very happy with him.
“I think he had five or six runs as a novice over fences and he’s a lovely horse. If he’s not one for this Welsh National, he could be for another Welsh National or another National, he’s a beautiful horse.”
Gavin Sheehan is also in good from and he looks to extend a fine run with a ride on Jamie Snowden’s Super Survivor.
“I’m looking forward to him, he’s a lovely horse and had a great prep run,” he said.
“He ticks a lot of boxes for the race and hopefully it goes well on the day.”
Other notable contenders include Gary Moore’s Nassalam, winner of the Welsh National Trial earlier in the month, and the Paul Nicholls duo of Complete Unknown and Truckers Lodge.
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