Yala Enki routs his rivals
The ante-post favourite for the National gets bogged down as Yala Enki saunters to a 54-length triumph — despite not holding an entry for the big one
WHEN the going got tough, Yala Enki was the one to get going in what was a gruelling Betfred Grand National Trial, even by Haydock’s standards.
Conditions at the course in the winter seem to become more demanding than at any other track and only three finished — with Mysteree picking up the third-place prize money at such a laboured pace that the winner might have almost got back home to Herefordshire already.
Yala Enki is also not even entered in the Randox Health Grand National, for which the weights were announced last week. Under Charlie Deutsch, he finished 54 lengths ahead of the ante-post Aintree favourite Blaklion, who probably did his chances no real harm as he has a little while to recover.
“He has been a fantastic horse who has won us a Lanzarote Hurdle and a couple of other good races over fences,” trainer Venetia Williams told H&H.
“He’s not overly big — I know people say Blaklion is on the small side but he is too — and he’s an absolute professional.”
The trainer is not ruling out a tilt at the big one another year.
“That depends on the view of his owner, Clive Hitchings,” Williams added. “He wasn’t keen to enter the race and the horse is only eight. I’m sure we’ll have further discussions in the future.”
“Charlie gave him a great ride — he lost his 3lb claim on Monday and to win a race like that without it will be a big help to him in the future.”