Kitty’s Light closer in bid for Grand National
Kitty’s Light is closer to a chance to become the first Wales-based winner of the Grand National since 1905. But he’s not quite there yet.
The magic number is 34 – the maximum field now allowed in the Aintree spectacular – and the eight-year-old, trained by Christian Williams by the seaside in west Glamorgan, is down to number 38 in the list following the latest batch of defections.
Kitty’s Light won two of the most prestigious staying chases in the calendar, the Scottish Grand National at Ayr and the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, in the space of a week last spring and was bound to be on punters’ shortlists for Liverpool if he remained fit and healthy.
He didn’t exactly sparkle at the Cheltenham Festival a fortnight ago, but, given that it was primarily a prep, he did enough to satisfy Williams, who, as a jockey, finished runner-up aboard Royal Auclair in the 2005 National won by Hedgehunter.
The latest withdrawals mean that Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux (now 34) is guaranteed a run, while the heavily-backed Irish chaser Panda Boy (35) is on the verge of making it for trainer Martin Brassil, who won the 2006 edition with Numbersixvalverde.
Yesterday’s 17 scratchings included top weight Hewick and Longhouse Poet, but that still leaves only six of the 34 trained outside Ireland – four in England, one in Wales and Scotland’s favourite and defending champion Corach Rambler.
Also missing is Monbeg Genius, which will come as a relief for everyone eager for a good news story on 13 April. He’s owned by Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman, currently under scrutiny over the PPE scandal.