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John Smith's Grand National - 6th April 2013 

 

grand national 2013 /

 

Williams Hopes Cappa Can Give Wales First Success Since 1905 31/01/13

Trainer Evan Williams, based in the Vale of Glamorgan, has confirmed Cappa Bleu is on course for a second tilt at the John Smith’s Grand National.

Cappa Bleu
© Grossick Racing Photography

Cappa Bleu

The lightly-raced 11-year-old encountered trouble in running last year and his trainer believes the experience will have stood him in good stead ahead of this year’s renewal.

Williams commented: “The John Smith’s Grand National has been the plan for Cappa Bleu ever since he crossed the line last year.

“He ran a very promising race last year. He got a few bumps along the way and was lucky to stand up with some loose horses and fallers around him. I thought he did incredibly well to finish as close as he did.

“He is a very unexposed horse and his inexperience probably caught him out last year, but hopefully he will benefit from that this time around.

“Everything has been very good with him since his comeback at Carlisle (second of five in November) and, given the way the weather has been, I am delighted we managed to get the run into him when we did.

“Since he ran, it has been very wet and very heavy ground doesn’t suit him. When he encountered that for the first time in the Welsh National in 2011, it took me a long time to get him back after that.

“I didn’t want to run him in that sort of ground again this season because I want to get him to Aintree as fresh as I possibly can.

“He holds entries this weekend but he will be entered everywhere as I am very keen to get another run or two into him before Aintree. I will give him every opportunity to run but, as I have said all season, if the ground is very heavy, he won’t run.”

Cappa Bleu is one of eight entries trained in Wales, along with recent Welsh National second Teaforthree (Rebecca Curtis), Always Waining, who has won the last three runnings of the John Smith’s Topham Chase over the Grand National fences, Gullible Gordon and Mumbles Head (all with Peter Bowen) and 2011 Scottish Grand National winner Beshabar, Saint Are and Tartak (all with Tim Vaughan).

The only horse trained in Wales to win the John Smith’s Grand National was Kirkland way back in 1905.


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