National Week!

Although a quiet Bank Holiday Monday in terms of runners from the stable, we have an interesting contender in the big race of the day, the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.  Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival winner Junior (pictured above) made trip across the St Georges’ Channel from Fishguard to Rosslare on Saturday morning and arrived at the new stables at Fairyhouse racecourse on Saturday evening.  He will be partnered in today’s contest by Conor O’Farrell, who was aboard him when successful at Newcastle earlier in the season.  He has it all to do under top weight – it is hard enough to win under that welter burden on these shores, never mind travelling overseas and doing it!  Sadly I won’t be in attendance – the hospitality that the Irish always show us is legendary, but I will be watching from the comfort of my armchair this afternoon.

It looks like being a busy day at one of our local tracks tomorrow (Tuesday) as we have six runners at Exeter, while we are also likely to have runners at Wetherby on Wednesday, Taunton on Thursday, Chepstow on Saturday and Ascot on Sunday.  Oh, and not forgetting Aintree of course!...

It is the turn of the English this weekend as the Aintree Grand National takes place on Saturday and we will have just the one runner in the big race, last year’s tenth Swing Bill.  ‘Bill’ is likely to remain the ride of Conor O’Farrell who had such a terrific spin on him twelve months ago – I am under no illusions as to the task ahead of him…he has to improve to be involved at the business end but he would have been much closer last year had a rival not fallen directly in front of him at The Chair last year, bringing him to an almost complete halt.  Fortunately Neptune Collonges won last year, so at least we don’t have to overcome the ‘first grey horse since Nicolaus Silver’ to win statistic!  It is the Grand National and as we all know, anything can happen – it is just a pleasure to take part and we will be doing our best.

We will have a small but select team of runners for the remainder of the Aintree meeting this year, although the likes of Dynasate, Grands Crus, Gevrey Chambertin, Broadway Buffalo, Shotavodka and others are all engaged.  With the weather supposedly set fair for the remainder of the week, Aintree have decided to water their ground so it is difficult to know what the going on the opening day will be, especially if the forecasters have it wrong and there is a bit of rain.  I think after months of trudging through testing conditions, most trainers would be pleased to see genuinely good ground for their charges.

Finally, it was with great sadness that I learnt last week about the extent of the injuries sustained by J T McNamara from his horrific fall at the Cheltenham Festival last month.  The leading Irish amateur jockey has been left paralysed and I cannot even begin to comprehend how he and his family must be feeling right now.  Needless to say, our thoughts and prayers remain with them all now and as he continues his recuperation.  It is always shocking when something like this happens - fortunately with improvements in safety, these tragic events do not occur nearly as often as they used to, but you cannot take for granted the enormous risks that these jockeys take every time they climb aboard a horse for our entertainment.

To keep up to date with all of the latest news from around Pond House and our runners don’t forget to visit Chester’s Daily Chat.  You can also follow me on Twitter: @DavidPipeRacing

Addendum:  We make a concerted effort to try to keep up to date with former Pond House residents and I was delighted to hear that former Grade One Long Walk Hurdle winner Lough Derg is still doing well following his retirement from racing under rules a couple of years ago.  Indeed, the spritely thirteen year old is so well that he competed for the first time since November 2011 when taking in a confined point-to-point at Lockinge on Bank Holiday Monday.  He gave his partner Thady Duff a memorable experience on his first competitive race ride and the pair acquitted themselves very well in finishing runner-up.