Tiger bids to roll back years in early outing
TIGER ROLL returns to Aintree today – two days earlier than many would initially have expected. Much has been written and said about the decision of owners Gigginstown House Stud to miss Saturday’s Randox Grand National with their equine great – but he certainly adds a layer of intrigue to the Betway Bowl.
Gigginstown’s gripe with the handicapper was the fact that the dual Grand National winner had the rating of a Grade One horse – and he is about to get the chance to prove who is right.
Tiger Roll is in the care of Denise Foster, and the current incumbent at Cullentra House Stables said: “He’s 11 years old, and it will be a big ask for him. Really we’re just hoping for a nice run from him.
“We can’t be too confident – I am wary of the fact that he is 11. That’s really all you can say about him. He left here in good form, and we’ll just have to see what happens. It’s all a bit of a question mark.”
With Davy Russell still sidelined by injury, Jack Kennedy comes in for the mount.
Another popular 11-year-old is lining up in opposition, in the shape of Colin Tizzard’s
2018 Gold Cup winner Native River. He does so, though, without the aid of his old ally Richard Johnson, who retired last Saturday. The four-time champion jumps jockey has been replaced by Jonjo O’Neill jnr, who won the Denman Chase on Tizzard’s stable star last season. Native River finished fourth,
best of the British, in the Gold Cup last month.
“It’s strange going into a race without Richard, but Jonjo has won on him, so that helps a bit,” said owner Garth Broom. “We had been dithering a bit about the ground – and while it won’t be ideal, hopefully it will be safe, and on Thursday it’s likely to be at its softest.
“It’s quite an open race. On faster ground we wouldn’t have run. He can handle good ground – he won the Denman on it a couple of years ago when unfortunately he picked up a suspensory problem. The thing about the soft ground is that it slows the others down, while he just goes the same speed. We’re hoping for a good run from him.”
Paul Nicholls skipped the Gold Cup with dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux, in preference for this race, but he has been fitted with first-time cheekpieces after he surprisingly failed to beat stablemate Secret Investor at Newbury.
“He ran very well last time at Newbury when just failing to give 6lb to Secret Investor, who picked up an injury and may not run again until Christmas,” Nicholls said. “We felt after Newbury that fitting cheekpieces might help Clan’s concentration, and they seemed to sharpen him up when he worked in them on Saturday. He’s in good shape, and if the cheekpieces do the trick then he has an obvious chance.”
Nicholls also runs Real Steel, not seen since pulling up in the King George.