Donald McCain, trainer of last Saturday’s tremendously brave John Smith’s Grand National winner Ballabriggs might not have a runner in the Scottish equivalent at Ayr this weekend but he is still targeting another big win as his Overturn bids to carry top weight to victory in the Isle of Skye Blended Whisky Scottish Champion Hurdle, [...]
Naunton-based trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is set to saddle up to three runners in this weekend’s eagerly anticipated John Smith’s Grand National. Most of the media attention is centred around veteran Hello Bud (ridden by Nigel’s son Sam), but the stable’s Roll Along is an interesting contender in his own right and well handicapped on the [...]
One of the most famous horses in National folklore is Devon Loch – even though he didn’t win the race, the 1956 Grand National is more remembered for him than the winner E.S.B. Devon Loch, owned by The Queen Mother appeared to have the race at his mercy when he propped, gave a half-leap around [...]
Paul Townend, currently clear at the top of the Irish jumps jockey’s championship and who had been expected to take the ride on one of the leading lights amongst Willie Mullins’ potential battalion of runners at Aintree on April 9 in the John Smith’s Grand National, looks set to be ruled out of the race [...]
A decade after first taking out a trainer’s licence, legendary Middleham-based trainer Neville Crump really made his name in the world of jump racing thanks to a remarkable mare, Sheila’s Cottage, in 1948. The horse was described as a temperamental mare for whom Crump, nevertheless, had a huge affection. Perhaps Sheila’s Cottage was something of [...]
Following the excitement of another fantastic Cheltenham Festival the racing world now turns it attention to the world-famous John Smith’s Grand National 2011 at Aintree. As the race edges closer punters will be looking to the news emanating form the training yards for clues to the favoured runners and riders in order to select their [...]
Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen is still riding the crest of a wave after his tremendous performance in partnering the majestic Long Run to a famous success in last week’s Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he could potentially be in position to land the highest profile jumps race in the world when he partners his father’s [...]
Of the 82 horses still listed as possible runners in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 9, only two are mares, one of which is the James Motherway-trained Bluesea Cracker, who seems likely to be given the green light to take her chance in the big race and strike a blow for [...]
The fickle nature of racing has been demonstrated once again with the sad news that the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Backspin, one of a powerful team set to represent one of the sport’s leading owners JP McManus at the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival, was found dead in his stable on Wednesday morning having suffered a suspected heart attack, [...]
The Gordon Elliott-trained Dirar might have appeared to have a big chance on official figures when he faced the starter for a 12-furlong conditions race on the all-weather track at Kempton last week, but after an absence of nearly six months connections appeared delighted with his third place finish in the six-runner field, writes Elliot [...]
