Silver By Nature's National bid in Russell's safe hands

Trainer keeps grey ticking over nicely as Scottish hopes of Aintree glory soar

IF TRAINER Lucinda Russell did not know before yesterday morning that she is carrying the hopes of a nation with her as she prepares her stable star Silver By Nature for next week's Grand National at Aintree, she certainly knew by early afternoon.

Such has been the interest in the horse owned by St Johnstone FC chairman Geoff Brown that Russell decided to throw open her Arlary House stables near Milnathort in Kinross-shire to the press, and was duly besieged by racing correspondents, photographers and camera crews.

With her training and life partner Peter Scudamore by her side as always to dispense the sort of wisdom that comes from his eight National Hunt jockey championships, the leading Scottish trainer dealt professionally with all the media.

"It's been incredible," said Russell. "I didn't really appreciate how much interest there was going to be - it's like being caught by the paparazzi."

Silver By Nature was rightly the centre of attention, for only once since Rubstic won the great race in 1979 has a Scottish-trained horse been so strongly fancied to lift the world's biggest National Hunt prize - that was Strong Resolve six years ago, another grey trained by Russell who was backed down to 9-1 and got round to finish 17th.

In 1999, Sue Bradburne's Blue Charm did superbly well to finish second to Bobbyjo at the odds of 25-1, but fine horse though he was, there was not the buzz in the Scottish racing world that there is about Russell's current contender.

She has learned some lessons from her experience with Strong Resolve: "We had different press here every day in the run up to the National and it was a disaster, so we thought we would get everyone here today and do it that way."

The good news is that, barring a heatwave, the horse definitely runs, and further good news is that rain is forecast for the Liverpool area, every drop of which will assist this confirmed mudlark who would not be running if it was only to give his connections a day out.

"Geoff (Brown] is right," said Russell, "if the ground is firm then he doesn't want to risk his horse, but if the horse has got a competitive chance then he will run. I absolutely agree with Geoff, there is no point in going there just to have a social runner, because if you have a social runner, that's when things can go wrong."

The nine-year-old grey son of St Leger winner Silver Patriarch looks in magnificent shape, and hardly worked up a sweat as he powered up the gallops under regular jockey Peter Buchanan, who is an experienced hand over the Aintree fences.

"We are preparing Silver By Nature for the race," said Russell, "and it's good that he is so laid back and professional about everything, because you can feel the excitement around the yard."

His second place in last year's Welsh Grand National marked him as a possible Aintree horse, but his tremendous performance in comfortably winning the totesport.com National Trial at Haydock in February saw him leap up the betting.

The big bookies have taken a lot of money, and not just from patriotic Scots, on Silver By Nature, and both Ladbrokes and William Hill had him down to fifth favourite at 14-1 yesterday, while some other layers held him at 16-1.

Russell feels the timing is right for Brown's horse: "The handicapper has put him up 10lbs for the win at Haydock, so he is well in at the weights (National weights were announced before that race].

"Looking back on it, after his second in the Welsh National last season, we wondered if we had made a mistake by not running him in the Grand National, but he's had an extra year and I think it's been the best thing for him.

"He's a much more mature horse, and you saw that at Haydock. He's a very polite horse, very professional, but when you get to the races he can get quite bolshie. At Chepstow at this year's Welsh National, I was really worried because you want him to be in that slightly bullish way and he wasn't."

Silver By Nature still managed to finish seventh in that race, but his impressively powerful run at Haydock removed any doubts that he could be a National type.

Russell said: "Winning at Haydock convinced Geoff that he should have an entry in the National. We talk to Geoff every day and agree that as long as he in the right form and the ground is not too quick then he will run.

"He has an entry in the Scottish National, but the plan at this point in time is to go to Aintree."

With 36 winners already, Lucinda Russell is having her best season to date. A National win for Silver By Nature would top everything, however, and there is no doubt Geoff Brown's grey has a serious chance.