Trainer Martin Brassil is looking forward to sending Longhouse Poet back to Aintree Racecourse for a another crack at the Randox Grand National on April 15.
The nine-year-old ran well on his first attempt at the world's greatest steeplechase 12 months ago. Under Darragh O'Keeffe, he took to the famous Aintree obstacles and was still up in the firing line until the second last fence. He eventually tired to finish sixth behind winner Noble Yeats. But he will head back to Aintree a year older, in good form and carrying 4lb less than last April. He is currently among the market leaders at a best-priced 16-1 with William Hill, Coral, Betfred, BetVictor and Unibet behind general 8-1 favourite Corach Rambler.
Longhouse Poet won a 2m4f contest over hurdles at Limerick on Boxing Day, and although he unseated jockey JJ Slevin at the first fence in the Bobbjo Chase at Fairyhouse, he bounced back with victory over fellow Grand National entrant Roi Mage in a 3m2f chase at Down Royal last Friday.
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Trainer Brassil, who won the Grand National with Numbersixvalverde in 2006 and saddled Double Seven to finish third in 2014, just missed out on a winner at last week's Cheltenham Festival – settling for two narrow defeats. And he is hopeful Longhouse Poet could also go close back at Aintree.
The County Kildare handler said: "He came out of the race great and we are really looking forward to Aintree with him. He just did a bit too much in the race last year. He over-raced a bit. It was his first time there and he was very exuberant. He is such a good jumper, he was making ground over the fences and Darragh (O'Keeffe) was inclined to let him enjoy it. He needed to have a little quiet time at some stage in the race, to slot in behind a few. He did all the donkey work, really."
Brassil remains hopeful that Slevin can keep up the partnership with Longhouse Poet at Aintree – but the jockey is waiting on the outcome of a possible totting-up suspension. The trainer said: "JJ Slevin will ride hopefully. He is not sure yet because he got an eight-day ban for An Epic Song and he got three the other day for something else. So he is having a look at that and hasn't yet come back to me to tell me what's the story. I haven't got anyone else in mind, though."
Brassil knows all about how to win the National having scored with Numbersixvalverde 17 years ago and knows there are plenty of dangers to his hopes of more success. He added: "You can never be confident in the National. The horse who beat Fastorslow at Cheltenham (Corach Rambler) seems to be fired in on his form and has no weight. Roi Mage has a nice weight too and that grey horse of Gavin Cromwell's (Vanillier), he is nicely-in, too – he's a nice staying type of horse."
At Cheltenham Fastorslow was beaten a neck by Lucinda Russell's Corach Rambler in the Ultima Handicap Chase and An Epic Song was similarly second to Langer Dan in the Coral Cup, going down by just a head.
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Brassil said: "Even if one of them won it would have been great. It was a great meeting, but I felt a bit sorry for Fastorslow, as the winner got the ride of the meeting, I'd say. It happened right for that horse in particular, but if we'd have got to the front a bit sooner, we might have beaten him. He's come home great from it and we are very happy with him. There are no plans for Aintree, but Punchestown maybe. There will be something for him anyway, although I haven't looked at it yet."
For latest odds from William Hill, official betting partner of the Randox Grand National Festival, please visit https://rb.gy/izcpzu Non-Runner, No Bet.
