IT’S JUST GRAND FOR POWER
ROBBIE Power has come in for a good ride in next week’s Randox Health Grand National at Aintree but dual winner Leighton Aspell misses out.
Power is in line to take the mount on Welsh National hero Raz De Maree.
Trainer Gavin Cromwell had the up-and-coming conditional James Bowen was on board when successful at Chepstow in January.
However, Bowen has been booked to ride Shantou Flyer on Saturday week, so Cromwell wasted no time in snapping up a replacement.
Power won the race on Silver Birch for Gordon Elliott in 2007 and is now in line for the mount.
“It’s looking like Robbie Power will ride him,” said Cromwell.
“Robbie knows what it takes and I’m just hoping this rain keeps up for a little longer.
“I think I’m the only man around who wants it to carry on raining but I’ll be doing a rain dance until National day!”
Aspell, successful on Pineau De Re in 2014 and Many Clouds the following year, faces at least The in-from THE KING’S STEED (treble) has every chance to complete the hat-trick. The fitting of blinkers has had a positive effect and he opened his all-weather account two outings ago at Wolverhampton wearing them for the first time. He followed up at Chelmsford on Saturday night. He may have scrambled home by a neck but that does not tell the whole story as he was hampered and headed close home but fought back tenaciously. Rocksette is yet to register a win but shaped with promise and ran better than her final position suggests over track and trip last month. This is a slight drop in grade and she could easily step up on her previous effort. The front-running Tarseekh is not ideally drawn but showed plenty of early pace to score at Kempton and, though this is tougher, has been given a chance off a 4lb higher mark. The switch back to this surface will help Ertidaad, who rattled up a hat-trick before finding the slower Southwell Fibresand against him. six weeks on the sidelines. He took an awkward fall from the Oliver Sherwood-trained Jurby in a novices’hurdle at Hereford last week.
“I’ve fractured the C5 vertebrae in my neck and cracked the C4,” said Aspell
“Luckily no surgery is required but it’s six weeks in a neck collar, they’ll check it again and then hopefully we can make a plan.
“If the news is good I’ll be able to start thinking about getting back on board and it’s not going to be a long time off.
“It was a routine fall but I landed the wrong way.
“Although it was sore I was hopeful it wasn’t bad but x-rays suggested otherwise.
“They’re happy I can make a full recovery.”
Ruth Jefferson has ruled her stable star Waiting Patiently out for the rest of the season.
“Unfortunately we’ve had a setback and it’s come at the wrong time, with Aintree around the corner,” said Jefferson.
“He won’t run again this season and we’re just waiting back for more detail from the vet to see exactly what it is.” It is quite possible that FLAVIUS TITUS (nap) has got in here on a decent mark for his handicap debut. He has progressed nicely with each outing, opening his account in taking fashion at Kempton despite showing his inexperience and his jockey dropping his whip. The form of that race has been boosted and he does look the type to improve further with Andrea Atzeni, pictured, taking over the reins. That also applies to Insurgence, who has been raised 8lb for his one length success over course and distance but the winning margin did not reflect his superiority. Tathmeen makes his all-weather debut and also steps up in distance but on breeding may have stamina issues. The Mums tends to find one too good and the in-form Bungee Jump will find this a great deal tougher after making all to win a modest claimer here. This is a drop in class for KALAGIA (nb). There is plenty of speed in her pedigree and she opened her account when making all to score over Hamilton’s stiff five furlongs. She confirmed that promise with another good effort before finding herself out of her depth in a valuable York handicap. She starts this campaign on a decent rating and the yard has a good record at this track. Kath’s Lustre has a fitness advantage and may have found the step up to seven furlongs against her at Kempton on her latest outing. She had won rather cosily at Chelmsford the time before and rates the main threat. Haylah didn’t make the expected progress last season and the market may reflect her chance. That also applies to Faay, who has shown little in her three starts. The drop back to this trip did not help Flora Tristan and she may be taken off her feet.