Potters Corner may head to France
CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS is considering sending Welsh National winner Potters Corner back over hurdles at Auteuil on his next start ahead of an outing in the Randox Health Grand National.
The 10-year-old could travel to France for the Listed Prix Hubert D’Aillieres on March 7, before tackling the Aintree marathon the following month.
It would be the second time in the space of a year that Potters Corner – who is a general 25-1 chance for the Grand National – has raced in France, having also visited the Parisian track in May.
This is new ground for Williams whose career, as a jump jockey, was cut short by injury.
Second in the 2005 National when Royal Auclair chased home Hedgehunter, he partnered the legendary Denman to three wins in the early career of the subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner. And he had a spell riding for Yorkshire racing legends Harvey and Sue Smith – Williams, who trains close to the sea in his native Wales, speaks fondly of his time in this county.
On Potters Corner, who was ridden to Chepstow glory by teen sensation Jack Tudor and is coowned by Jonathan Davies, the Wales and British Lions rugby international, Williams said: “We might go to France for a Listed hurdle on March 7. It is something different.
“I’ve taken him to Auteuil before and I probably couldn’t run him in level-weight races over here.
“If I was to run him here, it would be in 20-runner staying chases and, off his mark, I thought it would be a nicer option to go to France.
“He is very laid-back – I’ve taken him to Auteuil before and he took it all in his stride.”
Although Potters Corner is yet to tackle the Aintree fences, Williams is confident he will take to them judging by his Chepstow success.
He said: “I wasn’t massively
sure he would jump round Aintree until his win at Chepstow, but he has been good all this year.
“Last season things didn’t go
for him, but he still won a Midlands National.
“He travelled lovely at Chepstow and he doesn’t get behind the bridle like most staying chasers
do. He travels nicely on the bridle and I’m hoping Aintree will suit him.”
Before Williams takes Potters Corner on a return trip to France, he plans to tread a familiar path by giving him a day out much closer to home.
He said: “I will take him down to Henrietta Knight’s before France, if we go there, as I did that before the Midlands National and before the Welsh National.
“It gets him out of the yard and seems to be working. It was nice to have another set of eyes look at him before the Welsh National and tell me he looked well, it gave me a bit more confidence.”
■ Defending champion Paisley Park features among 40 entries for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Emma Lavelle’s stable star was the dominant figure in the threemile division last year, winning all his five starts.
His unbeaten sequence culminated in victory over Jedd O’Keeffe’s now injury sidelined Sam Spinner at the 2019 Festival and he made a good start to the present campaign in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November.
Paisley Park should have tried to defend his crown in the Marsh (Long Walk) Hurdle at Ascot in
December, but was a late absentee on the day of the race due to the particularly testing conditions.
The main home threat to Paisley Park on March 12 could come from Harry Fry’s If The Cap Fits, whose only attempt at the trip resulted in a thrilling win in the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle at Aintree.
He made a successful reappearance in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot. Tom George has two strong entries in Marsh Hurdle scorer The Worlds End and Summerville Boy, winner of the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Northern hopes rest with Donna’s Diamond for Billingham trainer Chris Grant.
Meanwhile, Catterick’s Phil Kirby could be double-handed in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle – a Grade One contest over two and a half miles. As well as Lady Buttons who was placed last year, he has entered Desaray Girl who won at Haydock last month.
Un De Sceaux takes on Defi Du Seuil – the horse which beat him at Sandown – in a bid to notch a fourth win in the Matchbook Clarence House Chase.