Fox confident of making Grand National with help from Jack Berry House

IF it was not for Jack Berry House, the injured Jockeys Fund centre in Malton, Henry Brooke would not have been fit to ride Randox Health Grand National contender Highland Lodge to a valiant second in last December's Becher Chase at Aintree.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Mar 2017, 06:00 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 11:08 BST
One For Arthur and jockey Derek Fox are set to race in the Grand National.One For Arthur and jockey Derek Fox are set to race in the Grand National.
One For Arthur and jockey Derek Fox are set to race in the Grand National.

Now the rehabilitation centre is involved in a further race against time as jockey Derek Fox seeks to be fit to ride another leading fancy, One For Arthur, in the world’s most famous horse race on April 8.

Attached to the Kinross yard of Lucinda Russell and her partner Peter Scudamore, the former champion jockey, he took over as stable jockey last year following the retirement of the longstanding Peter Buchanan.

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Fox was in the saddle for One For Arthur’s wins this season at Kelso and most recently in the Classic Chase at Warwick in January as well as a fifth-placed finish behind Vieux Lion Rouge, and the aforementioned Highland Lodge, in the Becher Chase.

He has not ridden since a fall at Carlisle on March 9 left Fox with a fractured wrist and damaged collarbone.

“He’s actually down at Jack Berry House in Malton with Scu (Peter Scudamore, assistant trainer),” said Russell. “He’s always been confident he’ll be back in time and I’m pretty sure he will be.

“One For Arthur is in great shape, we’ve had mixed feelings watching some of the horses he’s been running against come out and win big races, but I’m sure we’re doing the right thing by him.”

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Kim Bailey is in no rush to decide whether to send Charbel into battle again this season following his heartbreaking exit at last week’s Cheltenham Festival.

A high-class novice hurdler last season and impressive when winning Uttoxeter’s Kalahari King Chase on his debut over larger obstacles, the six-year-old was no match for Altior in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown in December.

The pair renewed rivalry in the Arkle Trophy and Charbel still held a narrow advantage when he came to grief two fences from the finish. While Altior went on to a comfortable success, connections of Charbel were left wondering what might have been.

Bailey said: “Who knows what would have happened? It was too far out to know for sure. We can’t go back.

“I’m not sure whether he’ll run again this season. We’ve got another couple of weeks to decide.”

Related topics:Grand National