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grand national 2005 / news/

Trainers Shutts, George And Mitchell Targeting John Smith's Grand National
15/02/2005
The 2005 John Smith's Grand National weights were announced last Tuesday and Nick Shutts, Tom George and Ned Mitchell reveal today that they hope to have runners in the greatest jump race in the world which is staged at Aintree on Saturday, April 9.

Foly Pleasant (10st 11lb) was purchased out of Henrietta Knight’s yard at Doncaster’s May Sale for 100,000gns by Nick Shutts, who hopes to run the 10-year-old at the Cheltenham Festival before a tilt at the John Smith’s Grand National.

The trainer said: "We are going to run Foly Pleasant in the Foxhunters at Cheltenham and the ideal plan would be to run in that, then send him to Karen Marks to train him for the John Smith’s Grand National but clearly he would need to run fairish in the Foxhunters.

"Ginger McCain was underbidder for him - that’s why he’s got an entry in the National because Ginger must know something mustn’t he!

"I guess we knew what his handicap mark was and the weight is relevant to the other horses in the National isn’t it? He would be humping over 12st in his hunter chases so I guess 10st 11lb is fine."

Foly Pleasant was last seen under Rules when unplaced in last year’s Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He was successful in a point-to-point before finding Silence Reigns five lengths too powerful on his last start under Marc Barber in a hunters’ chase at Bangor on February 11.

"We just gave him some time off and he won a point-to-point at Weston Park a couple of weeks before his Bangor run," continued Shutts.

"He’s a horse that shows his best form at Cheltenham and he needs to come off a fast pace really. At Bangor there was no pace at all and he jumped to the front six out and was there to be shot at. Coming off a fast pace at Cheltenham will be a different kettle of fish.

"I have spoken to Terry Biddlecombe and Jim Culloty and they think he goes on any ground. If you have a look at his form, he goes on anything from good to heavy. So the ground is not too much of a worry in terms of Aintree and he definitely stays and he’s a tough sort."

Asked how he thought his charge would handle the John Smith’s Grand National fences, Shutts quipped: "Well I won’t be phoning up for the ride! He doesn’t get very high but, then again, he has jumped around Cheltenham many times and never fallen or looked likely to fall. So he takes a real good cut at his fences and we’ve been practising him at home and I don’t see there’s a problem at Aintree.

"At this stage Mr Barber riding in the Foxhunters would seem the plan but I haven’t thought about who might ride him after that."

Tom George has kept his options open with a quartet of entries in the form of Lord Of Illusion (10st 6lb), Historic (10st), Be My Royal (9st 12lb) and Toulouse-Lautrec (8st 5lb).

"I’m pleased with the weights all of mine have received and as long as Historic gets a run, I’m happy," said the Gloucestershire-based trainer.

"Historic has got 10st while Lord Of Illusion is up in the air with what happens when he runs at Cheltenham. We thought we would enter him in the John Smith’s Grand National to have another option and Be My Royal is also a possibility but I don’t think he’ll get in the race off 9st 12lb."

Historic was unchallenged when winning the williamhill.co.uk Marathon Chase at Sandown in December, staying on well to beat Innox by five lengths.

"Historic is in great form - he had a day’s hunting last week to freshen him up a bit and we might take him hunting again. He’s also in a few races later on this week," he continued.

"Hell be fine with the Aintree fences - put it this way, he did fine when hunting so he shouldn’t have any problem with those!

Irish handler Ned Mitchell is keen to send over Garvivonnian (10st 1lb), winner of the Pierse Group Cork Grand National in November, providing the 10-year-old gets a run.

The County Limerick trainer said: "If we get into the John Smith’s Grand National with Garvivonnian we will go, if we don’t we can’t! It will depend at the next stage how many stay in.

"I am very pleased with the 10st 1lb - he’s running off top weight here all the time as he’s at the top of the handicap and he’s not good enough to take on the good horses. He ran in the Paddy Power Handicap at Leopardstown over Christmas carrying one of the top weights which is a hard task."

On his last start the gelding took a tumble two fences from home in the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown last month.

"He’s come out of Punchestown fine and he’ll probably run over three miles one furlong in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

"The Grand National has been the plan since his win at Cork - the owner [John Long] wanted to go last year for the Topham Chase so I kind of talked him out of it. I said if you’re going, go for the big one!

"The fences at Aintree aren’t really a worry - he’s a very good ‘lepper.’ The first time he made a mistake was at Punchestown last time when I don’t know what happened to him - it was very uncharacteristic of him altogether."