Horse racing: McLintock is praying for rain

Trainer Karen McLintock is hoping some of the rain sweeping the country reaches Perth to enhance the chances of Nodforms Violet in this afternoon’s feature race.

The Tyneside raider has had treatment on his back since going close on his last run and faces nine rivals in the Sodexo Prestige Handicap Chase, for The Duke Of Atholl Challenge Cup.

Edinburgh-born McLintock said: “He’s had problems with his back and we’ve had it looked at since Worcester last month which came after his easy win at Cartmel. He was only beaten a neck into second place but I was disappointed with his jumping. Brian Hughes gets on very well with him and has done a lot of work on him at home. He says he has a style all of own and he just kind of leaves him alone and gets a nice tune out of him. He was third over hurdles on his only other trip to Perth but I hope they get a little rain as I don’t want the ground too firm. He’s high enough in the handicap and I think there are one of two to fear in a hot race.”

Tim Vaughan’s Stonethrower heads the weights in the three-mile chase with regular Perth visitor Gordon Elliott represented by Trendelenburg. Milnathort’s Lucinda Russell, who sends a strong team on the short journey up the M90, is double-handed with Bescot Springs and Blazing White Face.

Meanwhile, Andrew Thornton has hailed the ingenuity of officials at Chester after the track confirmed a trial into the possibility of staging summer jumps racing. The management are looking at running hurdle races around the famously tight circuit, with a schooling session planned for Monday.

Top trainer Donald McCain, who is based locally, will provide the horses for the trial, which will also be attended by a representative of the British Horseracing Authority.

Four flights of hurdles are due to be set up, with McCain’s inmates working over two miles under experienced riders.

Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning rider Thornton and his weighing room colleague Richie McGrath will be in attendance in their roles as jockeys’ safety officers.

“I think it’s a very exciting idea. I know people will have their doubts as Chester is renowned as being a tight track, but Fakenham is just as sharp and nobody bats an eyelid there. At Fakenham, you jump the last hurdle four times over three miles and you’re racing downhill past the stands. At Chester, after the turn for home, it’s largely flat. Cartmel is also very sharp, they virtually have hairpin bends, and there is a stone wall running round the outside of the track. Chester would be no tighter than those two.”

While Thornton is upbeat about the prospects of jump racing being added to Chester’s calendar, former Grand National-winning pilot Mick Fitzgerald is concerned by the layout of the track, but does see the attraction of the venue.

He said: “There’s no doubt that jump racing can be held on a circular track, but the problem is could it be held on one as small as Chester? That would be the worry for me.”