past winners

grand national 2007 /

Simon Heads Spearing National Assault 04/04/07

John Spearing is pleased with the progress of stable star Simon ahead of a tilt at the £700,000 Grade Three John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, April 14.

The eight-year-old home-bred, owned by former leading trainer Mercy Rimell, wife of the late Fred Rimell who trained four Grand National winners in ESB (1956), Nicolaus Silver (1961), Gay Trip (1970) and Rag Trade (1976), advertised his John Smith’s Grand National credentials with emphatic victories in the Sky Bet Chase at Southwell in January and the Grade Three Racing Post Trophy at Kempton the following month.

Spearing revealed this morning: “It’s all systems go with Simon for the John Smith’s Grand National. He’s fit and well and his work has been pleasing me.

“He wouldn’t have a problem with good ground. He’s only been running on soft ground because that’s all we’ve had.”

Simon’s Kempton triumph came after the John Smith’s Grand National weights were framed and Spearing hopes that the handicapper has his numbers right, with the gelding due to run off a mark nine pounds lower than his official rating.

The trainer commented: “It’s hard to say if he has more improvement in him but he’s running off his old rating, so if the handicapper is right then there should be. With a bit of luck he could progress a bit more.”

Spearing, who is based at the historic Kinnersley stables where the Rimells trained, is also hoping to saddle Aintree veteran Hakim in the four and a half mile spectacular.

The 13-year-old has a tremendous record in three starts round the famous course. He won the totepool Grand Sefton Chase in 2005 and finished runner-up to Liberthine in last season’s John Smith’s Topham Chase before uncharacteristically falling in the totesport.com Becher Chase in November.

Spearing revealed: “I think Hakim is more likely to go in the John Smith’s Grand National than the John Smith’s Topham Chase.

“He’ll run in one or the other - whichever one he can get into. The owner wants to go for the Grand National but if it looks doubtful we’ll hopefully try to get in the Topham.

“He’s fine and he’s a better horse at Aintree than anywhere else so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

Spearing is also hoping that Jack’s Craic can return to the form that saw him win the Grade Three Red Rum Handicap Chase at the 2006 John Smith’s Grand National meeting.

He said: “Jack’s Craic seems well at present so he will probably go to Aintree. He was disappointing at Cheltenham but he ran well the time before so it’s difficult to weigh him up really.

“It was a good day when he won there last year and it would be nice to repeat that.”

The £700,000 John Smith’s Grand National, won last year by the Martin Brassil-trained Numbersixvalverde, is one of the highlights of the sporting year and sees a maximum of 40 horses and riders compete over four and a half miles, jumping 30 fences, in a thrilling display that is watched by an estimated 600 million people worldwide

The world’s most famous steeplechase is the highlight of the fantastic three-day John Smith’s Grand National meeting (Thursday, April 12 - Saturday, April 14).

Numbersixvalverde will this year attempt to become the first horse since the great Red Rum in 1973 and 1974 to win back-to-back renewals of the John Smith’s Grand National.

Red Rum was also the last horse to reclaim the prize, which he did in 1977 having finished runner-up in 1975 and 1976, and the Willie Mullins-trained Hedgehunter, successful in 2005 and runner-up 12 months ago, will bid to emulate that feat.