Trainer Jonjo O’Neill is eyeing another “magical” day at Aintree Racecourse after providing three of the 107 entries for the 2022 Randox Grand National.
The initial entries for the world's greatest steeplecase at Aintree on April 9 were revealed today and the Jackdaws Castle trainer had Cloth Cap, Easysland and Time To Get Up among them as he looks for a second success in the race.
O'Neill famously won the Grand National with Don't Push It in 2010, giving himself, 20-times champion jockey Sir AP McCoy and owner JP McManus a memorable first victory in the showpiece.
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A former champion jockey himself, O'Neill never managed to even complete in the National. But he finally triumphed with Don't Push It's win. And he has seen several horses go close to victory, including Sunnyhillboy – who was beaten by the shortest-ever margin, a nose, by Neptune Collonges 10 years ago – since.
Memories of that victory are pushing O'Neill to try and taste success again.
He said: “Winning the Grand National with Don’t Push It was magical. It was a brilliant day. It would be great to win it again and keep the show on the road.
“We’ve just three entries in the race this year in Cloth Cap, Easysland and Time To Get Up. There is a long way to go before they all get there though.”
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Cloth Cap was sent of favourite for last year’s Grand National following superb wins in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso. But the gelded son of Beneficial was pulled up before the third last fence by jockey and Everton FC fan Tom Scudamore.
He has disappointed in three starts so far this season but O’Neill remains believes the 10-year-old can return to the form of last season's victories.
Cloth Cap runs in the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings – the triple Grand National-winning owner – and O’Neill said: “He was favourite for the race last year but unfortunately his wind gave up on him. Hopefully we have now got that fixed and we will go back to Aintree with him.
“It will be the same as last year for him in that he will either go to Doncaster (Grimthorpe Chase) or to the race he won at Kelso (Premier Chase) first.
“He does need genuine good ground though, otherwise he will have no chance.
“Although he does keep galloping he was a little bit free in last year’s race and he didn’t get home as his wind caught him out but hopefully he will get home this year.
“I think the handicapper overreacted to his Ladbrokes Trophy win in 2020 and it was a bit of a false reading.
“He started this season on a mark of 156 - he is back down to 147 but he will need that to get in.”
O’Neill’s recent recruit Easysland is set to make his stable debut at Sandown Park this Saturday in either the Virgin Bet Masters Handicap Chase or Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle.
The JP McManus-owned gelding has not run since finishing second to Tiger Roll at last year's Cheltenham Festival in the defence of his Glenfarclas Chase crown over the cross country fences. That was his final start for French trainer Dominic Cottin and O'Neill is looking forward to getting him started again.
O’Neill said: “The plan is to run him at Sandown on Saturday but as of yet I’m not sure which race in. He has been here for about a month now and in that time he has done a fair bit of swimming.
“He seems grand at the moment but it is a case of keeping the wheels on as he has been off the track since Cheltenham last year as he has had a few issues.
“He is quite a small horse and I was quite surprised when I saw him. He is not the quickest on the gallops, however he is in great form at home. We just need to find out where we are with him on the track now.
“If he comes out of this Saturday well I’d imagine that the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham will be his goal. Whether he goes to the Grand National I don’t know, but he has the entry.”
Time To Get Up, who like Easysland is also owned by McManus, disappointed on first crack over the famous Grand National fences when he was 11th of 13 in the Betway Grand Sefton Handicap Chase in November. That race is over 2m4f of the National course and may have been on the short side for the nine-year-old, who showed his liking for long-distance chases when winning the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter last March.
The gelded son of Presenting is set to line-up in another staying chase, the Grade Three William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase over an extended three-and-a-half miles at Haydock Park on February 19 next.
And O'Neill sees no reason why he can't do better back over the big fences when he returns to Aintree after that.
He said: “Time To Get Up has had a few issues this season but the plan at the moment is to send him to Haydock Park for the Grand National Trial later this month.
“He just about got home in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter but he did what he needed to do. He is usually a good jumper but he didn’t jump well around Aintree in the Grand Sefton.
“He had a few issues and hopefully we have put them right so we will see how we get on in the Grand National Trial.
“We have to give him a second chance to have a go over the fences and then we can work out if they are not right for him.
“There are not many options for him as he is not the quickest and is one that just keeps galloping away. He would need the ground to be on the softer side though.”
