AINTREE WEEK

29-03-2019

THIS WEEK The season may be almost over but there is still plenty more racing to be had.  The second most exciting week of the National Hunt calendar is almost upon us with The Aintree Grand National Festival getting underway on Thursday.  It's always been a special track for us since we landed our first Grade 1 there with Arzal just 3 years ago and this year we're in the fortunate position where we're sending out potentially 4 exciting prospects to fly the flag for the yard.  Lots to look forward and we're all excited to head north... REPORTS BRANDY JAMES Brandy James ran at Newbury on Saturday in the Be Wiser insurance handicap hurdle, class 2 over 2m3f.  He was being stepped up in trip for the first time and in a big field handicap hurdle so we were hopeful.  We were also hopeful for some more rain and to run him on his more favoured soft ground however unfortunately it was not the case and the ground dried out to good which wasn’t going to suit him.  We lined him up to make the running and unfortunately there was no pace which meant we had to make our own running, turning into the home straight it turned into a sprint which again didn’t suit.  As he always does he plugged on at the same pace to finish 6th.  We will now drop him in grade over hurdles and he also has the option of running on the flat through the summer. HONOURMISSION Honourmission also headed to Newbury to run in the John Haine memorial novices hurdle, class 4 over 2m½f.  This was his second run over hurdles after being encouraging enough on his debut before getting a bit tired through greenness on that occasion.  He jumped and travelled well in this run throughout much of the race and just looked very one paced up the running.  He is learning all the time and once he has got some more experience we're sure he will be competitive in handicaps.  He has a couple of entries next week and will line up in one of those options. ZANZI WIN Zanzi Win ran on Tuesday at Hereford in the St. Michael’s hospice juvenile maiden hurdle, class 4 over 2m.  Off the back of a solid performance at Fakenham last time, the ground was in his favour and this looked a good opportunity on paper.  He didn’t jump with quite the same fluency as last time but looked to have every chance at the top of hill.  Frustratingly he hung left up the run in which cost him the race.  He still ran a solid race to finish 2nd and he will need to go back left handed for his next run therefore we have entered him for Plumpton in a maiden hurdle next Sunday where he could run if we are happy with him. ENTRIES THE KINGS BABY The Kings Baby will take her chances today at Fontwell in the milestone landscapers experts in commercial landscaping handicap hurdle 0-110, class 4 over 2m1f.  She is in really good form at home and she has been running consistently well in her hurdle races but has been finding it tough.  This is a drop in grade and should help her but she is carrying a lot of weight and is a small mare but hopefully she can take a step forward and be competitive around a track that should suit. PERFECT MYTH Perfect Myth holds two entries in the coming week one at Ludlow on Monday and one on Friday at Sedgefield.  We will look at the entries and run her at the easiest opportunity, she is in good form at home and we are looking forward to running her again. CAPTAIN TOMMY Captain Tommy holds a few entries for early next week.  We will also look to run him in the easiest opportunity.  He has come out of his race really well and we are looking forward to running him again. DARA'S PRESENT Dara’s Present has an entry at Ffos Las on Sunday next week in the 3m handicap chase.  He will need rain to run but he should be well handicapped over fences and hopefully if his recent wind operation helps he could be very competitive in this. KHAGE Khage holds entry at Chepstow next Saturday in the 2m novice event.  The track suited him well last time and he has come out of the race in good shape.  We will have a look at entries and consider the race but he too will need some rain to run. AINTREE ENTRIES HENRIETTA BELL Henrietta Bell holds an entry for Aintree on Thursday in the grade 2 Goffs UK nickel coin mares standard national hunt flat race over 2m.  She has come out of the Newbury run in really good form where she put up a good performance and was very unlucky in running.  She has this grade 2 entry which will be a tough assignment but she is a talented filly with a good turn of foot.  The track and the ground will suit her so we will take a look and strongly consider running her. If she was to run well it would be fantastic to gain some black type for her. ROUGE VIF Rouge Vif has two entries at Aintree one on the Friday in the Betway Top Novices' Hurdle (Class 1) (Grade 1) 2m 103y and one on the Saturday in the Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle (Class 1) (Grade 1) 2m4f.  He is in fantastic form at home and came out of his grade 2 victory in very good shape.  Having missed Cheltenham he is a fresh horse and has improved with every run this season.  If he has improved again hopefully he can be competitive in the top level, we are very much looking forward to running him. BIGMARTRE Bigmartre is entered up in the Topham on Friday over the national fences where he is likely to take his chance.  He has come out of Cheltenham in good form and he schooled over the national fences last week which went better than could be expected.  He will line up in the Topham - the first runner in the race for team HWR and we are extremely excited.  He has dropped down to a nice mark and if he takes to the fences then who knows... SPARKLEANDSHINE Sparkleandshine holds an entry for Saturday at Aintree in the Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) Conditional Jockeys' and Amateur Riders' Race) 2m 103y.  He is in really form at home, he ran well to a point last time but did not stay the trip.  He is off a workable mark and his owner is keen to have a runner on national day so it will be a question of whether he gets a run.  If he does get in here we will have a low weight and what should suit hum is a strongly run race with a collapsing pace.