Donald McCain: Ballabriggs bang on course for Aintree

Donald McCain / Donald McCain / 30 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Ballabriggs is on course to defend his Grand National crown.

"as well as Overturn, I would think that the likes of Absinthe, Sud Pacifique, Constant Contact and Bourne will all end up running on the Flat at some stage....."

Another steady week for the McCain team as attentions turn to Aintree......and, whisper it, the Flat season.

There's a bit of a lull between Cheltenham and Aintree and we have a quiet weekend lined up, albeit there are a couple who look to have decent chances.

Things have carried on nicely this week with a few more winners and the horses seem to be holding their form very well, despite some of them having been kept very busy.

We're up to 137 winners for the year now which is certainly beyond any expectations I had at the start of the season.

We look to have a strong team building up for Aintree, even with Cinders And Ashes now missing the meeting, and it's a track at which I am obviously very keen to do well at.

Ballabriggs was the star of the show last year and things are ticking over nicely with him at home. I had been keen to give him another racecourse gallop between Kelso and the National but, with the weather as it has been, there haven't really been any suitable opportunities.

He's doing plenty of work at home though and I couldn't be happier with him in the build up - we'll just keep chipping away and hopefully we will get him there in the same form as last year.

I was asked the other day if I was likely to be keeping many going on the Flat through the summer. It's not something I have tended to do in the past - I know Overturn has been a star - but we have quite a few 85+ rated Flat horses and, reluctantly, I might have to have more of a look this time round!

There will be a few of them kept on the go - as well as Overturn, I would think that the likes of Absinthe, Sud Pacifique, Constant Contact and Bourne will all end up running on the Flat at some stage.

They won't be running for the sake of running, but if the right race pops up at the big meetings, they will be there to take their chance.

Cheltenham Festival winner Cinders And Ashes will bypass Aintree....

Donald has one of his leading juvenile hurdlers in action at Hexham on Sunday....

Donald has a strong team in action at his local track on Saturday....

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Handicappers' Corner: Ballabriggs fit for National service now?

Timeform Debate / Phil Turner / 06 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Ballabriggs returned at Kelso

"Bar an uncharacteristic blunder at the eleventh, Ballabriggs both travelled and jumped with typical fluency..."

Although racing has entered its usual quiet storm before next week's Cheltenham Festival, several leading Grand National hopefuls have been flexing their muscles in recent days, so jumps handicapper Phil Turner casts his eye over the latest picture for the Aintree showpiece....

Chief amongst those seen out last weekend was, of course, the 2011 hero Ballabriggs (Timeform rating c159), who again warmed up for Aintree by tackling the Kelso Premier Chase over two and three-quarter miles on Saturday. Although Ballabriggs finished two places worse off than when runner-up in the 2011 renewal, his fourth to Master of The Hall (c155) actually represents the same form he'd shown on that final prep run prior to Aintree glory.

Indeed, trainer Donald McCain reported himself happy with the comeback run and understandably so, given the gelding ultimately shaped as if the outing was just needed. Bar an uncharacteristic blunder at the eleventh, Ballabriggs both travelled and jumped with typical fluency before edging ahead on the long run-in until his lack of a recent run told late on. He'll clearly come on for the outing, though the fact remains that he's been allotted a stiff task by the BHA handicapper in his bid to become the first back-to-back National winner since Red Rum in 1974 and, as such, others make more appeal in the ante-post market.

Similar comments apply to Kelso runner-up According To Pete (c148), who stuck to his task well over an inadequate trip on Saturday but still looks plenty high enough in the weights now following earlier heroics this winter. Third-placed Abbeybraney (c137) also holds a Grand National entry, but he'll struggle to get a run in the big race (currently 9 lb out of the weights), whilst there must be a chance he'll prove slightly flattered by his Kelso effort.

Elsewhere on Saturday, long-standing National fancy Junior (c158) was in action in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster, which was also the prep race that the McCain stable used for Amberleigh House prior to his 2004 Aintree victory. Junior certainly shaped a good deal more convincingly than on his comeback run over hurdles, failing by just a short head to defeat the well-treated Ikorodu Road (c136) having been hampered slightly by last-fence faller Pentiffic (c132), which shows he's clearly not handicapped out of things off a 19 lb higher mark than when running out a wide-margin winner of last season's Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival.

Although there were plenty of positives to be gleaned from a form viewpoint after Saturday's narrow second, the fact Junior had a harder race than ideal tempers enthusiasm for his Aintree prospects somewhat, whilst his tendency to neither travel or jump with complete fluency would also be a concern with regards to a well-run National.

The latter point certainly isn't an issue with Niche Market (c151), who cut a bold sight up with the pace when finishing a gallant fifth in the 2011 edition of the Aintree showpiece, whilst he also shaped well over those unique fences when runner-up to West End Rocker (who missed the Grimthorpe due to ground concerns) in the Becher Chase there in early-December. Admittedly, the eleven-year-old Niche Market is still without a win since the 2009 Irish National, but he's crept back down to an attractive mark and emerged with plenty of credit when runner-up to the lightly-weighted Marufo (c129) in a veterans' event at Newbury on Saturday, particularly as the pair pulled 24 lengths clear of the remainder.

Niche Market seems sure to give his supporters another good run for their money at Aintree but, in truth, he still looks up against it at the weights in relation to Prince de Beauchene (c164), who heads our ratings by some margin on the back of his impressive return to action in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse late last month.

Adjusted Timeform ratings for Grand National:

Prince de Beauchene 193
Weird Al 184
Niche Market 181
Burton Port 180
Quantitativeeasing 180
Giles Cross 178
Neptune Collonges 178
Hold On Julio 177p
Cappa Bleu 177+
Junior 177
Massini's Maguire 177
Scotsirish 177
Synchronised 177
Seabass 176
Treacle 176
(Selected others: According To Pete 171, Ballabriggs 171 and West End Rocker 171)

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Grand National: Ballabriggs heads list of 82 entries

Latest News / Timeform / 01 February 2012 / 1 Comments

The Grand National is likely to feature a maximum field of 40.

"As ever, the Irish are very strongly represented..."

As expected, last year's Grand National hero Ballabriggs will return for another crack at the Aintree showpiece on Saturday April 14...

There were no notable absentees for the marathon, which now features record prize money of £975,000, with the likes of Synchronised and Deep Purple likely to join Donald McCain's eleven-year-old near the head of the weights should they take their chance.

Deep Purple's trainer, Evan Williams, has two other strong representatives lined up for the race in Welsh National third Cappa Bleu and State of Play, in the frame in the last three running's of the Grand National.

Cappa Bleu's Chepstow conqueror Le Beau Bai is also amongst the entries, as are Scottish National runner-up Always Right, Rowland Meyrick/Peter Marsh scorer According To Pete.

For a race which either are yet to win, Nicky Henderson has Burton Port, Quantititiveeasing and Shakalakaboomboom engaged, whilst Paul Nicholls relies on Neptune Collonges and Niche Market.

Alan King has a pair of leading fancies in Hold On Julio and West End Rocker, while Calgary Bay, Giles Cross, and Midnight Chase are all intriguing entries.

Mon Mome won the race in 2009 and looks likely to be back again whilst David Pipe, who saddled Comply Or Die to victory a year earlier has entered ante-post favourite Junior, Massini's Maguire and the yet-to-reappear The Package.

As ever, the Irish are very strongly represented (31 entries) with champion trainer Willie Mullins putting 12 into the races headed by last year's sixth The Midnight Club, On His Own and Prince de Beauchene.

Neol Glynn will be expecting Becauseicouldntsee to do better than last year (feel second), while Backstage is back again for Gordon Elliott (also has Chicago Grey and Tharawaat), as is Black Apalachi for Dessie Hughes, the 13-year-old having not seen the track since finishing second to Don't Push It two years ago.

Although last year's runner-up Oscar Time won't be running this time round, Robert Waley-Cohen has entered his hunter chaser Roulez Cool.

Junior currently heads the ante-post market for the race at [16.0], and a full list of prices can be found by clicking HERE.

Henrietta Knight is to give Calgary Bay another tilt at the John Smith's Grand National after the nine-year-old put up a creditable weight-carrying performance in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster......

Venetia Williams is on the lookout for a race next month for Mon Mome following his disappointing performance at Haydock last weekend....

Last season's Grand National runner-up Oscar Time has been ruled out for the season with a leg injury......

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Grand National: Ballabriggs heads list of 82 entries

Latest News / Timeform / 01 February 2012 / 1 Comments

The Grand National is likely to feature a maximum field of 40.

"As ever, the Irish are very strongly represented..."

As expected, last year's Grand National hero Ballabriggs will return for another crack at the Aintree showpiece on Saturday April 14...

There were no notable absentees for the marathon, which now features record prize money of £975,000, with the likes of Synchronised and Deep Purple likely to join Donald McCain's eleven-year-old near the head of the weights should they take their chance.

Deep Purple's trainer, Evan Williams, has two other strong representatives lined up for the race in Welsh National third Cappa Bleu and State of Play, in the frame in the last three running's of the Grand National.

Cappa Bleu's Chepstow conqueror Le Beau Bai is also amongst the entries, as are Scottish National runner-up Always Right, Rowland Meyrick/Peter Marsh scorer According To Pete.

For a race which either are yet to win, Nicky Henderson has Burton Port, Quantititiveeasing and Shakalakaboomboom engaged, whilst Paul Nicholls relies on Neptune Collonges and Niche Market.

Alan King has a pair of leading fancies in Hold On Julio and West End Rocker, while Calgary Bay, Giles Cross, and Midnight Chase are all intriguing entries.

Mon Mome won the race in 2009 and looks likely to be back again whilst David Pipe, who saddled Comply Or Die to victory a year earlier has entered ante-post favourite Junior, Massini's Maguire and the yet-to-reappear The Package.

As ever, the Irish are very strongly represented (31 entries) with champion trainer Willie Mullins putting 12 into the races headed by last year's sixth The Midnight Club, On His Own and Prince de Beauchene.

Neol Glynn will be expecting Becauseicouldntsee to do better than last year (feel second), while Backstage is back again for Gordon Elliott (also has Chicago Grey and Tharawaat), as is Black Apalachi for Dessie Hughes, the 13-year-old having not seen the track since finishing second to Don't Push It two years ago.

Although last year's runner-up Oscar Time won't be running this time round, Robert Waley-Cohen has entered his hunter chaser Roulez Cool.

Junior currently heads the ante-post market for the race at [16.0], and a full list of prices can be found by clicking HERE.

Henrietta Knight is to give Calgary Bay another tilt at the John Smith's Grand National after the nine-year-old put up a creditable weight-carrying performance in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster......

Venetia Williams is on the lookout for a race next month for Mon Mome following his disappointing performance at Haydock last weekend....

Last season's Grand National runner-up Oscar Time has been ruled out for the season with a leg injury......

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