26.01.12 - THE GRAND NATIONAL

Entries For The 2012 John Smith's Grand National Close On January 31

KILLYGLEN & ALFA BEAT ON COURSE FOR AINTREE HIGHLIGHT

This year’s John Smith’s Grand National countdown steps up a gear next week with the entries for the world’s greatest chase closing at noon on Tuesday, January 31.

The famous contest, which takes place over four and a half miles and 30 fences at Aintree on Saturday, April 14, carries a record prize fund of £975,000, with prize money extends to horses finishing ninth and 10th for the first time. 

Killyglen was still very much in contention in last year’s John Smith’s Grand National when falling four fences out and a return to Aintree is on the agenda for the chaser, who is trained in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, by Stuart Crawford. The 10-year-old is currently a 25/1 chance with Betfred for this year’s race.

Crawford revealed: “We are hoping to head to Aintree again with Killyglen. On the one hand, I was delighted with the way he jumped the fences last year but on the other, it was obviously a little disappointing because he was going so well before he fell and the John Smith’s Grand National is such a hard race to win.

“I hope that the experience will serve him well and, if we can get him back there in the same kind of form with the same conditions, I would be hopeful that he can run a big race again. He’s a 10-year-old now but he has been lightly-raced throughout his career.

“We will look to give him one more run before the John Smith’s Grand National, probably at the start of March. Doncaster suits him well, so the Grimthorpe Chase is a possibility again. He will also be entered in the Premier Chase at Kelso, where we could meet Ballabriggs, and he will be given an entry for Leopardstown (March 4).”

John “Shark” Hanlon has yet to have a runner in the John Smith’s Grand National but the trainer looks set to saddle a leading contender in the form of Alfa Beat (a 33/1 chance with Betfred), who will get his preparation for Aintree underway with an outing over hurdles at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The County Carlow handler is aiming to continue the remarkable recent record of Irish trainers winning the John Smith’s Grand National at the first attempt, with Jimmy Mangan (2003 Monty’s Pass), Martin Brassil (2006 Numbersixvalverde) and Gordon Elliott (2007 Silver Birch) all having captured the race with their debut runner.

Alfa Beat was purchased by leading American jump owner Irvin Naylor last year with the intention of winning the John Smith’s Grand National and the eight-year-old already boasts a National win, having won the Kerry equivalent at Listowel on September 14.

Hanlon commented: “Alfa Beat runs on Sunday in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown, which will be a stepping stone in his preparation for the John Smith’s Grand National.

“He is in great form and I have been delighted with him over the winter. We wanted to give him a run over hurdles to get a run into him before going back over fences and he could have his final prep run before Aintree at Down Royal on March 17.

“The ground when he won at Listowel in September was too soft for him - he got through it but he definitely wants better ground.

“The owner is very keen on the John Smith’s Grand National and it’s great to have a horse that is going to be competitive in such a big race.”

Ballabriggs is currently Betfred’s 16/1 joint favourite for the John Smith’s Grand National as he bids to become the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back renewals. The 11-year-old was reported to be in rude health at last week’s media day at trainer Donald McCain’s Bankhouse Stables arranged by Aintree Racecourse and John Smith’s.

David Pipe enjoyed success in the John Smith’s Grand National with Comply Or Die in 2008 and the trainer is set to this year be represented by Junior (16/1), who has been victorious at both the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot over the past 18 months and joins Ballabriggs at the head of Betfred’s market.

Other notable contenders include West End Rocker (20/1), successful in the Listed Betfred Becher Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree on December 3, last season’s Scottish Grand National hero Beshabar (20/1) and Shakalaboomboom (20/1), who is set to try and further his Aintree credentials at Doncaster on Saturday.

Entries for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand National will be announced on Wednesday, February 1, and changes to this year’s race conditions include the stipulation that horses entered must be aged seven or above and must have been placed first, second, third or fourth in a chase of three miles or more before March 20, 2012. 

Weights for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand National will be announced on Tuesday, February 14.

The 2011 festival witnessed a sell out attendance on Grand National Day and was the first time the event completely sold out in 30 years.  Aintree’s famous Ladies’ Day, staged on Friday of the meeting, also sold out beforehand, while Liverpool Day, which opens the meeting on Thursday, saw an increased attendance. 

The 2011 Grand National achieved a TV viewing audience of 8.8 million viewers in the UK alone, more than the FA Cup Final and received a 63% audience share of the available viewing audience.

Since last year’s festival, the John Smith’s Grand National has won the coveted title of Tourism Event of the Year at the Mersey Partnership Tourism Awards. 

Latest availability on ticket and dining package for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand meeting can be found at www.aintree.co.uk.

For further information, please contact Emma Owen, Aintree’s Marketing and PR Manager