Mania to team up once more with Auroras Encore at Ayr

Less than 24 hours after tasting victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase on 6 April, Mania crashed back down to earth with a bang, having to be airlifted to hospital following a heavy fall at Hexham.

Despite suffering a small fracture to a vertebra and some soft tissue and ligament damage to his neck, Mania was discharged from hospital last Tuesday and has been given the all-clear by British Horseracing Authority chief medical advisor Dr Michael Turner to return to the saddle.

Mania said: “I saw my own GP and then he sent the results of some tests to Dr Turner and, thankfully, he is happy for me to ride again. I’m delighted as I wouldn’t want to have missed riding him (Auroras Encore). The plan is to come back at Ayr on Friday.”

Auroras Encore, a 66-1 winner of the Aintree spectacular, will have to carry top-weight of 11st 12lb as he aims to become the first horse since Red Rum in 1974 to complete the rarely-attempted National double.

Trainer Sue Smith is happy to let her pride and joy line up, provided conditions do not become too testing. Smith said: “We had a pretty good idea he’d end up with top-weight, so that isn’t a surprise. It obviously doesn’t make life easy for him and we know it’s a very big task, but the horse is in grand order and went really well this morning.

“If I had any doubts or second thoughts about his well-being at all, we wouldn’t send him, but at this minute it looks like we might let him take his chance.

“If it absolutely poured down with rain and the ground went very soft, that would be a big no-no, but if the ground stays as it is, then he’ll probably run.”

A total of 37 horses have been confirmed for the Ayr feature, including ante-post favourite Rival D’Estruval.