Always Right winning battle for Aintree

ALWAYS Right, the probable John Smith’s Grand National mount of Saltburn jockey James Reveley, remains on course for Aintree following a soft palate operation.

The 10-year-old, third in last season’s Scottish National, made a successful reappearance at Kelso but was pulled up in Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase and then Haydock’s Grand National Trial when he stopped abruptly while in a potentially winning position.

“He’s fit and well now. He’s had a soft palate and we’ve just had it cauterised,” said the County Durham-based John Wade who owns and trains last year’s Grimthorpe Chase winner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wade’s head trainer, Maria Myco, added: “It just meant 10 days off and hopefully that is what has been the matter with him. There was something troubling him in his last race. He was cantering and was ready to win it, we thought.

“We don’t know whether he displaced it before he got to the jump and that is what caused it, or whether it was hitting the jump that caused it.

“As soon as he did it that was him pulled up, so we had him seen to. We had him scoped straight after the Haydock race. He’s had it done, he’s had his 10 days of trotting and now he’s back again into normal work.

“He’s still on course for the Grand National.

“Hopefully everything will go all right.”