Henry can jump to it at Aintree
Brooke set to come back with a win
Henry Brooke is one of the more colourful characters on the jumps scene and the talented jockey will be hoping to come back in style at Aintree on Saturday.
Henry has been out of action since October when he was taken by air ambulance from Hexham to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary with eight broken ribs and a collapsed left lung after a fall.
And at Aintree on Saturday he will be reunited with Highland Lodge in the Betfred Becher Chase, a race the pair won last year.
The Jimmy Moffatt trained 10- yearold was last seen in the Coral Scottish Grand National in April when pulled up in the race won by Vicente but this test suits him better and what a fairytale it would be for Henry if he was to win again.
There are some top notch horses in opposition though including Ucelloi Conti, from the bang in- form Gordon Elliott yard who jumped the same fences well when finishing sixth in the Crabbie’s Grand National earlier in the year.
And Lucinda Russell runs One For Arthur whose long term aim is the 2017 Coral Scottish Grand National while Coylton- based Ian Duncan sends Milborough who will be ridden by Graham Watters.
A wide open race but I’ll be having a bet on the Elliott horse.
Elsewhere this weekend the Class 2 two mile four furlong handicap hurdle at Aintree could go the way of the Nicky Henderson yard who will chose between Hunters Hoof, a course and distance winner, and Pougne Bobbi who has only raced three times.
Over at Wetherby, Iain Jardine can score with Traditional Dancer in the two mile handicap hurdle while Nick Alexander’s Marlee Massie can return to winning ways in the three mile chase on the same card.
Jim Crowley was confirmed last week as the new retained jockey for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum replacing Paul Hanagan.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Paul losing the coveted job and the Sheikh’s racing manager Angus Gold moved quickly to secure the services of champion jockey Crowley as his replacement.
Ironically when Paul landed the job five years ago he had just become champion jockey for the second time so Crowley with a similar CV certainly fitted the bill.
It will be interesting to see how the move works out as I’m sure Jim will be going all out to retain his title while at the same time wanting to please his new employer.
Meanwhile, I’m certain Paul Hanagan will also be wanting to go flat out for the jockeys championship – an interesting 2017 Flat season lies in wait.
The magnificent Thistlecrack jumped like a stag in the Grade 2 novices’ chase at Newbury on Saturday and looks like being a huge player at the likes of Kempton, Cheltenham and Aintree over the winter months.
I’ve seldom seen such a prospect over the higher obstacles and he’s another from the Colin Tizzard camp who also boast the likes of Native River, Fox Norton and of course Cue Card.
Other horses to catch my eye on a very interesting Saturday’s racing included Irving who won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle for trainer Paul Nicholls and young jockey Harry Cobden and Alan King’s Who Dares Wins, winner of the Gerry Fielden hurdle at Newbury under a fine ride from Wayne Hutchinson.