Grand National quandary for George after rule change

Tom George is having to reorganise Saint Are’s path to the Randox Health Grand National because of a rule change over hunter chases.

George had planned to run Saint Are in those races in preparation for another crack at the world’s most famous steeplechase, in which he was second in 2015 and third last season.

However, he was rocked to discover that from next year the British Horseracing Authority has decreed horses with licensed trainers will not be allowed to switch to other races in the same season if they take part in a hunter chase.

“He’s in great form and I’m thrilled with him, but I’m very disappointed the BHA has changed the rules on hunter chasing. It’s ridiculous,” said the Slad trainer.

“He was placed in the Grand National last season and we’d mapped our campaign out to bring him out in January time, run him in a couple of hunter chases and aim him back at the National.

“That’s what our plan has been and then they drop it on us that you’re not allowed to do that any more. If you run in a hunter chase, you can’t run back in a handicap chase.

“It’s just very frustrating. Otherwise we’d have had him running now. He’s only just come into full work as we’d been planning on running him in January. We are just building his work up.

“We’re going to have to change our whole tack on it and I don’t know what route we are going to take with him now.”

He added: “It’s not fair on the horse.

“If they were going to bring this rule in, they should have done so in May time . . .

“What they should have done was have dozens of hunter chases that you couldn’t run in from licensed yards and just have, say four, for such horses.

“What route we’re going to take now, I’m not sure.”

Tom George: frustrated by rule change.