Scheduling is far from favourable for Scotland's Grand National

Published on Sunday 10 April 2005 00:44

IN THE wake of all the excitement and drama of yesterday’s Grand National at Aintree, Ayr plays host to the Scottish equivalent next Saturday.

The fixture list has done the Ayr executive no favours by scheduling the Scottish Grand National in such close proximity to its Aintree counterpart.

Of the 94 entries for the Scottish National, no fewer than 20 horses were among the field for yesterday’s race, including ten out of the top 20 horses in the handicap.

Given the short interval it’s hard to see any of them emulating the feat of Red Rum in 1974, when the ultimate Aintree hero became the first horse to win both races in the same season. After all, Ginger McCain had three weeks to sweeten up the old boy on Southport’s sands back then.

Yet it is another horse who was in action at Aintree last week who threatens to take centre stage on Saturday. On Thursday, Grey Abbey lit up the first day of the Grand National Meeting with a simply majestic display of galloping and jumping in the valuable Betfair Bowl Chase. In a performance which prompted comparisons with that other notable grey horse, Desert Orchid, Abbey gave Francois Doumen’s First Gold, a former King George winner, ten pounds and a twelve length beating.

Carrying top weight, Grey Abbey won last year’s Scottish National by a distance from Kerry Lads, having been left clear when Granit d’Estruval fell at the last fence. Since then, this 11-year-old gelding, trained in County Durham by the shrewd Howard Johnson for his owners, the Roper family and Norman Furness, dairy farmers in Abbeytown in Cumbria, has had a remarkable year. Wins in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham saw him become a leading fancy for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and he was also installed as top weight for the Aintree spectacular when the handicap was published. With five wins in a row, and unbeaten since the Cleeve Hurdle in January 2004, Grey Abbey approached this year’s Festival with a winning habit and a live chance, but in the run-up to the Gold Cup the gelding knocked a joint.

Johnson managed to get him to the racecourse and the grey even led the Gold Cup field over the first dozen fences, but the drying ground was blamed for him weakening into fifth place behind Kicking King. Ironically, Johnson trained three winners at the Festival - Arcalis, No Refuge and Inglis Drever - and confirmed his arrival as a major player at the top level. The money invested in horses by Johnson’s principal owners, Graham and Andrea Wylie, is lifting his training yard into the premier league. The support of the North East-based businessman who made his fortune in the computer software industry has had a similar effect on Johnson’s fortunes to that enjoyed by Chelsea after their acquisition by Roman Abramovich. While Johnson may lack the charisma of the sullen Jose Mourinho, there is no doubt that he, too, is a master of his craft.

After Cheltenham, connections were faced with the task of deciding whether to allow their favourite to run in the Grand National. Leaving nothing to chance, Johnson arranged for mock Grand National fences to be built at his Crook yard and Grey Abbey was schooled over them. An enthusiastic and brave jumper, the gelding failed to treat the new obstacles with sufficient respect, jumping low and fast. In consultation with his owners, Johnson decided that the horse should bypass the National and aim instead at the Betfair Bowl, formerly the Martell Chase, run over Aintree’s Mildmay course with its more conventional fences. Part owner Steve Roper summed it up: "We didn’t really want him to run, so it wasn’t a hard decision to make. He’s too brave and we didn’t want him breaking his neck or injuring himself. We think that much of him." Having now won 15 of his 41 races and over 320,000 in win prize money for his owners, it’s easy to understand why.

But will Grey Abbey take his place in the field at Ayr? After the setback which had affected his preparations, speculation had been rife at Cheltenham that the Gold Cup was to be his final race. Again, prior to Thursday’s race the television pundits were talking of him taking his final bow.

The principal factor militating against Grey Abbey defending his crown at Ayr is the fact that he would have just nine days to recover from his Aintree exertions. For a horse who has not always been straightforward to train that may well be a big ask. Additionally, the penalty incurred for Thursday’s win would require him to carry the welter burden of 12st 3lb around the marathon trip of the National. Clearly the Johnson camp may want to think long and hard over the next few days. Against that, the manner of his victory last year, his six victories at Ayr and the likelihood of encountering his favoured soft ground conditions must all tempt his owners to allow him to run. Steve Roper, buoyed by the emotion of Grey Abbey’s latest win, is clearly positive. "I know the Scottish National is only nine days away, but if he comes out of this okay he could run," he told reporters in the winners’ enclosure at Aintree. "He is a family horse and he has loved Ayr since he was a youngster, so why not have a go in that contest again?"

There’s little doubt that the Ayr executive would love the horse to take his chance. Always popular at Ayr, the horse’s profile is very much on an upward curve and should his owners announce that the Scottish National is to be his swansong, it’s hard to imagine any horse who would attract more popular support.