 |
|
|
|
| Aintree News 6th - 8th April 2006 |
Ollie Magern Out Of Grand National
05/04/06
 |
Ollie Magern will miss Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National and instead run in tomorrow’s £150,000 Betfair Bowl at Aintree.
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: "Owner Roger Nicholls thought that Ollie Magern would be better suited by the Betfair Bowl which has got terrific prize money and will have a smaller field."
This means that jockey Carl Llewellyn will switch to Baron Windrush, also trained by Twiston-Davies, in the John Smith’s Grand National.
Ground Ball misses Grand National
05/04/06
The JP McManus-owned Ground Ball will miss the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.
The owner’s racing manager Frank Berry revealed this morning that the nine-year-old, trained by Charlie Swan has opted for tomorrow’s Red Rum Chase, over two miles, instead.
The decision to take out the horse still leaves McManus with four starters in the race, second favourite Clan Royal, Innox, First Gold and Risk Accessor. While his cross-country specialist Spot Thedifference, number 43 in the entries, will get a run if there is a further withdrawal.
The change of plans for Ground Ball will be good news for the Sue Smith stable as Ross Comm, who has already been backed from 25/1 down to 16/1 overnight, is now a certain starter for Saturday’s race.
Ground Ball is the second horse to pull out of the Grand National today, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Ollie Magern earlier having been confirmed as a starter for tomorrow’s Betfair Bowl.
Eurotrek ruled out of Grand National
05/04/06
Eurotrek, trained by Paul Nicholls, has been ruled out of the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, after the horse was found to have an infected foreleg this morning.
"We schooled him yesterday and he was fine, but this morning his leg was big and the vet examined him and said there was no way we could run him," said the Somerset-based trainer.
Nicholls will still have six starters in Saturday’s race; joint top weight Royal Auclair, Cornish Rebel, Silver Birch, Heros Collonges, Le Roi Miguel and Le Duc.
The withdrawal of Eurotrek means that JP McManus, who took out Ground Ball earlier today, will again have five starters as cross-country specialist Spot Thedifference, number 43 on the list of entries, will now be guaranteed a run.
