Henry’s Grand plan a proven winner

THE success of Henry De Bromhead’s stable shows no sign of stopping and now the Waterford handler is eyeing another victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse.

The 51-year-old has to battle against the Irish powerhouses of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott at home and in Britain.

But it is a battle he relishes and in recent seasons he has more than held his own and has achieved victories in the biggest races on the National Hunt calendar especially at the Cheltenham Festival and at the Grand National meeting at Aintree.

He now has 23 Cheltenham Festival winners following victories this year with Slade Steel in the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Captain Guinness in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Now he will send a strong team to Aintree, not least in the Grand National itself with Thyestes Chase winner Ain’t That A Shame, his 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo and Eklat De Rire, who was second at Fairyhouse in February before being pulled up in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in his prep run for Aintree.

Greatest

De Bromhead won the Grand National with Minella Times in 2021, helping stable jockey Rachael Blackmore become the first female rider to win the world’s greatest steeplechase — the trainer also saddled runner-up, 100-1 shot Balko Des Flos for good measure.

He became the first trainer to win the three main championship contests — Champion Hurdle (Honeysuckle), Champion Chase (Put The Kettle On) and Cheltenham Gold Cup (Minella Indo) — and the Grand National in the same season.

Three of those were partnered by

Blackmore, who finished the week at Prestbury Park as leading jockey and 12 months on the duo struck Gold with A Plus Tard giving the trainer a second successive victory in the blue riband event of British National Hunt racing.

Far from being sated by his many victories which in his homeland includes five Irish Champion Hurdle successes — three by the mighty mare Honeysuckle — and several at the Punchestown Festival, De Bromhead is keen for more.

On his runners for this year’s Grand National, he added: “Minella Indo I think will love it (the National). He ran in the Cross Country and ran great at Cheltenham. He stays very well and you hope that is his forte.

But you never know until they go and do it (in the National). He got the Cross Country trip very well and he should be fine. The way the fences (at Aintree) are now I think he will enjoy it.

Form

“It was a shame not to get the run into him (when the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival was called off). But with ground the way it was it might be a blessing.

“He is in great form and everything is good. Rachael (Blackmore) rode him the other day and she was very happy with him and all seems good.

“Ain’t That A Shame is really good and everything is going to plan. David Maxwell came over and schooled him and he was delighted with him. They got on great together and we are hoping for a good run.

“He ran really well last year but he seems better and stronger this year. He seems in better form this time and he has been specifically trained for the race this year. He was brilliant in the Thyestes and I don’t think he was really right in the race last year, so I think you can see him improve this year.

“Eklat De Rire ran okay in Cheltenham. His run before that was very good and we will hunt away and see how he gets on.”