Aintree Angles: Henderson and Jango Baie mean business
Aintree can be brutal on horses reappearing after Cheltenham — a place where Festival heroes can turn into also-rans overnight. But the vibes are bright at Seven Barrows, and Nicky Henderson looks set to roll into the Grand National meeting with a strong raiding party.
JANGO BAIE was fresh in his routine work on Tuesday and sits top of the staying-chase tree in Britain. Better still for Henderson, the no-show of Gaelic Warrior clears a big stumbling block searching for payback for his 8-length Gold Cup defeat in Thursday’s Welfare Bowl Chase.
He has only had four starts this season and hopes are high his Gold Cup exertions have not left their mark. Win here and it’s the perfect end-of-term report —a Grade 1 that has eluded him so far this season following a near-miss in the King George.
JOYEUSE steps up in trip to 2m4f for Friday’s William Hill Handicap Hurdle after finishing a staying-on third in the County Hurdle. Henderson had three entries at the declaration stage — but significantly he’s sticking with this one alone.
Jingko Blue is entered in the Liverpool Hurdle, but confidence from the yard is behind IMPOSE TOI as he heads back to Aintree. A line can be put through The Stayers’ Hurdle flop when pulled up under Nico de Boinville thinking of another day.
On drying ground and back on a flatter track, he’s expected to look a totally different proposition. His Aintree form figures of 41 hint at a course specialist — and he looks a cracking each-way bet against Wodhooh.
Gary and Josh Moore have had one eye on the sky for SALVER, who came from the clouds to rattle home to finish third in the Brown Advisory. With the track watered and officially Good to Soft any extra showers would only crank up their confidence for the Mildmay Novices’ Chase on Friday.
The Moore team’s real buzz horse is TI’MAMZEL for the Nickel Coin Mares’ race that closes Thursday’s card. She’s two from three in bumpers, looking very smart winning a second Listed mares’ race at Sandown last time by six lengths, and the word from home is that her recent work has been impressive.
Grand National shortlist
OSCARS BROTHER is the sort of Grand National fairytale Aintree serves up every year. He’s a rapidly improving eight-year-old novice from Connor King’s two-horse yard — and the 29-year-old handler is trusting his brother Daniel to do the steering. Pull this off and it’s David v Goliath stuff - only now the “giant-killer” is carrying JP McManus’ famous colours.
McManus doesn’t buy on a whim — so when Oscars Brother created a favourable impression winning a Punchestown Grade 2 from Koktail Divin - JP’s Racing Manager Frank Berry flashed the chequebook. It’s already looking like one of the shrewdest bits of business of the season. He followed up in a Navan Grade 2 and at Cheltenham finished a staying-on fourth in the Brown Advisory over 3m, and he’s still unexposed over a marathon trip — which he tackles for the first time at Aintree.
MONTY’S STAR doesn’t scream “National horse”— he has one Beginners’ Chase win from 11 starts — but the form book says he’s much better than that. His Grade 1 record is rock-solid (including a cracking fourth in the 2024 Gold Cup) and he was thrown in at the deep end on handicap debut in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, giving away lumps of weight. In this century only Denman has carried top weight to win that race in 2009.
Henry de Bromhead has insisted Monty’s Star “wasn’t right” for spells last season, but he looked back to his old self when running a fine prep behind Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup. He travelled like a real threat at Leopardstown, loomed up two out but then paid for the move late on, losing ground and weakening from the home turn. The National has always been the plan, even if his trainer wasn’t thrilled by a 2lb hike.
JOHNNYWHO ground it out winning the Ultima at Cheltenham with cheekpieces fitted — and that’s exactly the profile you want for this showing stamina in a big field. He should step forward again on his second run after a wind op, so his autumn spin at Aintree in the Grand Sefton can be marked down as a sighter over the fences.
The Irish National fifth last term isn’t flawless proof he stays, but he is a year older and stronger. Crucially he’s 5lb well-in — and with Richie McLernon getting another crack at the prize that slipped away by a nose with Sunnyhillboy, there’s plenty to like if he gets into a rhythm.
THREE CARD BRAG was never a factor finishing eleventh behind Nick Rockett in last year’s National — he pulled far too hard and was running on empty after three out. But his Coral Gold Cup second at Newbury this term behind Panic Attack is proper staying-handicap form, and it keeps dragging me back for another look.
Although looking lifeless in the Bobbyjo, it came after a three-month break and he blew hard after the race. He’s a cliff horse — but if he settles early and saves something for the second circuit, he’s got a squeak at massive odds.
NATIONAL 1-2-3-4:
1 Oscars Brother
2 Monty’s Star
3 Johnnywho
4 Three Card Brag
On the gallops: One to watch
GALIYAN, an unraced 3yo in training with Andrew Balding, has been catching the eye in his work this spring. He was pencilled in for an all-weather maiden at Wolverhampton last week, but connections swerved it to wait for the turf — and the fact he holds a Dante entry tells you the regard he’s held in. He shouldn’t be far away when he debuts in a maiden, and he wouldn’t look out of place if lining up in the Wood Ditton at the Craven meeting.
Ones for the Tracker
PRIZELAND is worth sticking in your ATR Tracker. She has three entries at the time of writing: a 12f all-weather handicap at Southwell plus novice races at Lingfield and Yarmouth. A half-sister to Andrew Balding’s Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal, she backed up that debut promise by winning a 1m Kempton minor event as a two-year-old, scoring by 1¼ lengths from Valkyrie Storm. If she turns up in one of the longer 10f/12f engagements, she looks the type to stay all day and improve over a longer trip.
GOLDEN MIND might be a touch high in the weights off 102, but he ran a stormer at Musselburgh over 7f last Saturday. Fit from a recent all-weather pipe-opener, he was steadied early and ridden cold but still finished best of the closers on a track that favoured speed — making ground up the inside rail to grab second. Winning off this mark may be tough in similar grade, but he’ll be far more dangerous when allowed to boss it from the front.
JUNGLE RULER was tapped for toe in the Championship All-Weather Sprint Final — but he kept on strongly to finish a cracking fourth at Newcastle. The Horsewatchers rolled the dice for the prize money on offer and learned what they suspected all along – six furlongs is now on the quick side for him. Back over 7f or a mile, he looks well treated for the season ahead.
