Elliott has eye on Aintree for chaser
GORDON ELLIOTT is hoping Bless The Wings can follow a similar path to his 2007 Grand National winner Silver Birch after his success in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham.
“I sent Silver Birch the cross country route to help get his enthusiasm back,” said Elliott.
“I hope it also works with this fella.
“He’s been a bit disappointing in his last couple of runs and I was thinking about retiring him.
“He certainly deserved that and Davy (Russell) gave him a great ride. He’s been placed at three Cheltenham Festivals and I plan to bring him back for the Festival in the cross country race.
“If he gets in the National that will be the plan.
“He has plenty of ability – he’s finished runner-up in two Irish Grand Nationals.”
The gelding is a 50-1 shot with Paddy Power for the Aintree headliner next April.
Colin Tizzard is also hoping he can run Robinsfirth in the National after the gelding impressed when taking the Unicoin Chase at Prestbury Park yesterday.
“He’s always had a huge amount of talent,” said Tizzard after Robbie Power had partnered the gelding to a comfortable victory. “I want to run him in the National but I’ll have to work on his owners (Christine Knowles and Wendy Carter) as they don’t want to run. I wanted to run him in the Welsh National but the owners didn’t want to go this year so we took him out. They are so happy. I mentioned the National but they both said no!”
The progressive Robinsfirth is a 40-1 shot for the world’s greatest steeplechase with Paddy Power.
Tizzard added: “For a Cheltenham race and for the money it was the best chance he’s ever going to get here, especially when the favourite came out.”
Gassy
The Dorset trainer’s double was initiated by Sizing Tennessee who took the Horse Comes First Novices’ Chase in the hands of Bryan Cooper.
Sizing Tennessee and Cooper have not enjoyed each other’s company in their last two races.
The rider took a heavy fall from the gelding on his penultimate start at Cheltenham and injured his shoulder on his recent outing on the gelding at Ascot when unseated.
“We never thought he had an issue with his jumping until he fell this year,” said Tizzard. “The horse lost his nerve a bit after his first fall and he was a bit gassy today. He’s got a big, powerful engine. He has also got that big, long stride and he will be good on spring ground.
“We will probably run him a couple more times and he could be an RSA horse or a National Hunt Chase horse – those are the two races you would look at.”
Anthony Honeyball believes Ms Parfois is an ideal candidate for next season’s Welsh Grand National after her stamina enabled her to take the CF Roberts Mares’ Handicap under Noel Fehily.
“We always thought chasing would be her game,” said Honeyball.
“It sounds lofty but she might squeak into a Welsh National another year if she progresses.”
Western Ryder booked his ticket for the Ballymore Hurdle at Cheltenham in March after taking the EBF Hurdle for trainer Warren Greatrex and champion jockey Richard Johnson.
Smaoineamh Alainn continued her upward curve when completing a hattrick with victory in the Catesby Handicap Hurdle.
The five-year-old made it three from three since being switched to hurdles, putting in a smooth round of jumping before defeating Remiluc by two lengths.
But the biggest cheer on a bitterly cold afternoon was reserved for the black labrador chasing the runners home in the Citipost Hurdle won by the progressive Arthur’s Gift.