PIPE SHOT AT GLORY
DAVID PIPE’S thoughts are surely focused on the coming three days at Aintree.
However, Mr Big Shot can ensure the team heads to Merseyside on a high by extending his unbeaten record to three at Carlisle.
The Pond House handler has one of the Grand National favourites in Vieux Lion Rouge to look forward to and while Mr Big Shot is obviously a muchlower profile beast at this stage, he should be more than good enough in the Pauline Phizacklea Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Carlisle.
He won a bumper at Uttoxeter last March before finally taking his chance over hurdles at Wetherby in January.
Lining up in what appeared to be a fair novice heat Mr Big Shot still looked quite green but he got a fine ride from Tom Scudamore and never looked like being beaten after assuming control at the last.
He was a ready winner that day and there appears to be plenty more to work with for David Pipe.
Dream Love was a shock 50-1 winner on her racecourse bow and while she could not follow up next time, she should not be ruled out of the 32Red Handicap at Kempton.
She beat an odds-on favourite on that first occasion and that rival has since gone on to victory with another of those further down the field also subsequently scoring to give the form a solid look.
Simon Dow must have fancied his chances of another win at Lingfield next time but the race did not really pan out in her favour and she was just tapped for a bit of toe in finishing third.
The handicapper has thankfully left her mark alone after that run, and a perch of 75 appears perfectly workable.
■Trainer Mouse Morris feels the pressure is off as he prepares to fire a twin Grand National assault in a bid to win the race for the second year in succession.
The popular Irish trainer watched Rule The World gallop to National glory last April and is set to be double-handed at Aintree, with Rogue Angel joined by another former Irish National winner in Thunder And Roses.
But with no trainer having saddled back-to-back winners since Red Rum landed the first two of his three Nationals for Ginger McCain in 1973-74, Morris is not getting carried away.
He said: “We’re going there with no pressure as the likelihood of winning it two years in a row is probably non-existent. I don’t think the ground will be an inconvenience to either of them.”