04.04.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

MIRRORS ON TARGET FOR AYR

Ferdy Murphy is looking forward to running Three Mirrors at Ayr later this month after the eight-year-old stayed on stoutly to wear down Oedipe’s lead to three and three quarter lengths at the line in the totepool Handicap Chase.
 
However, he does feel that the runner-up misses out on a number of big races because he has to race left-handed.
 
"Three Mirrors ran a blinder. It’s a shame that he has to go left-handed or we would take him to Punchestown. He’ll go back to Ayr, where he won last year, and we’ll see if there is anything else for him.
 
"It was the whole idea to get a prep run into him for Ayr here today. He probably could do with going somewhere else. He misses out on some of the big ones like the Galway Plate that are right-handed, but it just doesn’t suit him.
 
"He’ll probably have an early summer and come back for a race around Cheltenham in October or November."
 
Meanwhile Mrs Flory, the owner of third placed Alderburn, said: "He ran a good race and stayed quite well, but Oedipe took them off their feet. He went so fast. If all is well, we may go for the Betfred Chase at Sandown. We’ve got three weeks."
 
While Nicky Richards, trainer of fourth placed Rayshan, said: "Once, we thought he wouldn’t stay but he stayed out there and ran a really good race. He is as game as a pebble."