McCain: Aintree is a festival for us not the ‘monster’
Given the family’s remarkable Grand National history, Donald McCain will always be a cheerleader for Aintree.
He’s happy to be even more vocal, now that he believes Cheltenham has become a ‘monster’ that’s lost much of its allure for the trainer and his principal owners.
McCain, who prepared Ballabriggs for Grand National glory in 2011, is targeting his favourite track this week.
Owners are allowed back on course in limited numbers. That’s good news for connections of the McCain yard, who prefer Liverpool as their spring festival.
He swerved a Cheltenham week dominated by the visiting Irish in order to concentrate on a clutch of Aintree hopes, including Musselburgh winner, Fiveandtwenty, on opening day.
McCain insists the obsession with speaking about Cheltenham targets all-seasonlong has become too overbearing.
McCain said: “To be honest, it gets a bit boring everyone talking about Cheltenham from September onwards.
“A horse wins a race in the autumn and everyone wants to talk about what it’s going to be doing in March.
“It’s too much. Cheltenham has become this monster. And it’s putting people off, I think.
“It’s all you ever hear, Cheltenham this and Cheltenham that all the time. The whole industry is governed by four days in March. It’s not healthy.
“There’s a lot of great racing right throughout the winter, but all the focus is on one thing.
“We’ve always been Aintree people, the money is as good and the racing just as enjoyable.
“There are other places apart from Cheltenham and I train for people who think that Aintree is just as good, if not a better, experience.
“It’s a fantastic meeting. A lot of owners prefer Aintree these days. It’s more fun.”
Dad Ginger trained Red Rum to win three Grand Nationals and Amberleigh House to claim the 2004 renewal.
There’s n o representative from the Cholmondeley yard in the Randox-sponsored big one on Saturday.
However, smart juvenile, Fiveandtwenty, will be the Grade One stable flag-bearer on Thursday up against Tritonic, Monmiral and Adagio in the Doom Bar Anniversary Hurdle.
Another McCain success story from Musselburgh’s trials weekend in February, Tim Leslie’s Gaelik Coast, is in the Red Rum Handicap Chase.
Ten-length Wetherby winner, Milans Edge, contests the Bumper, while Federici will tackle the Foxhunters Chase.