National winner Barnes targeting Perth victory

Cumbria trainer out to clean up in front of capacity crowd

Maurice Barnes, successful aboard Borders-trained Grand National hero Rubstic in 1979, hopes to saddle the winner of the most valuable race on soldout Ladies Day at Perth today.

Now a trainer based in Cumbria, he is responsible for Fisher Green, one of six runners declared for the Binn Group Manage Collect Recycle Handicap Hurdle. Barnes secured ex-Roger Fell and Michael Dods-trained Fisher Green for a mere £4,000 at the sales last autumn.

He said: “He’s been brilliant since we got him and he’s only failed to bring home prize money twice.

“We’ve won a couple of races with him and he wasn’t beaten far in second at Hexham last time so hopefully he’ll go close again.”

Rivals up against Fisher Green include David Pipe-trained top-weight Legal History – already a winner at Exeter and Ascot this spring for his West Country connections – and Perth Festival runner-up An Fear Ciuin for Ayrshire handler Mike Smith.

The opening Brown & Blacks Even Better Times Maiden Hurdle sees a rare Perth runner carrying the famous Susannah and Rich Ricci colours in the shape of Wilhelmina Vonvenster.

Trained at Greystoke in Cumbria by Nicky Richards, he makes his debut over timber after running very green when an odds-on fourth in a bumper at Newcastle last November.

Get Out The Gate, the likely hot favourite for the DM Hall Chartered Surveyors Novices’ Chase, is already being tipped to go to the top and he made a pleasing debut over fences at Ayr recently.

Jim Goldie’s charge may not have things his own way if Oliver Sherwood’s Jersey Bean can produce his best hurdle form on this bow over the bigger obstacles.

Ladies Day is a sell-out event and no tickets will be available to purchase on the raceday.

Picture: Steve MacDougall. Action from last night’s Grampian Hotel Maiden Hurdle Race at Perth.