Highland Lodge staying fresh for Grand National

The 10-year-old made a winning debut for Lake District trainer James Moffatt when winning the Betfred Becher Chase over the National fences in December.

The victory was the biggest and most significant to date in the career of Middleham-based jockey Henry Brooke as the former champion conditional looks to resurrect his career following a couple of years in the doldrums – My Friend George’s success at Sedgefield yesterday was his 30th victory of the current campaign.

Moffatt immediately stated his intention to keep Highland Lodge in reserve until the big day and while he admits a particularly large entry at Aintree is not ideal, he hopes a mark of 137 will be sufficient to make the cut when the weights are released next Tuesday.

“After we ran in the Becher Chase, our plan was always to go straight to the Grand National,” said Moffatt, who enjoyed a stint at the High Eldwick yard of Sue and Harvey Smith before pursuing his own training career.

“He’s a horse that goes well fresh and at the moment our plan is still to go straight there.

“The horse is rated 137 so historically he has a good chance of getting in off that rating, although obviously we didn’t know there would be such a large entry.

“We will just have to see what the handicapper does and that is out of our hands.

“We could have messed around going over hurdles, but my feeling is that he is best fresh and you only get one chance at the National.”

Mary Reveley may have retired from training in 2004 but at the age of 75 has not given up altogether and is still involved in the point-to-point and hunter-chasing scene.

Based at Saltburn, she saddled more than 2,000 winners in a 22-year career before handing over the reins to her son, Keith, who has now given her Robbie to train for point-to-points and hunter chases from the family’s stables.

The 12-year-old was a close second in a point-to-point last month and is set to have another go on Sunday at Duncombe Park.

“He’s gone point-to-pointing and hunter chasing and my mother has a couple of boxes on the other side of the yard,” said Reveley junior.

“He finished second in a point-to-point at Sheriff Hutton a few weeks ago and ran really well. He was only just beaten and the ground was very soft. He’s a good-ground horse.

“The old horse is in great form, but he’s 12 years old. He’s rated 144 and just wasn’t good enough to win off that mark. Going point-to-pointing and hunter chasing gives him other options.

“He could well come back under Rules at some point maybe for one of those veterans’ chases but they are nearly all over three miles and his best trip is two and a half. They ought to have three or four over the shorter trip to give older horses like him a chance.”

Colin Tizzard believes World Hurdle favourite Thistlecrack could be lining up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next March.

Despite his limited racecourse experience with the eight-year-old only having had 12 runs in his life, Tizzard would be quite happy to forego a novice campaign due to his age.

Having already schooled at home, the Dorset handler is excited about the prospect.

“Winning three-mile hurdles is absolutely fine and you wouldn’t take that away from any horse, but the ultimate aim is to win a Gold Cup,” said Tizzard, who has recorded five winners at Wetherby this season and whose Charlie Hall hero Cue Card is set to be a leading player in Cheltenham’s blue riband race next month.

“You watch his jumping, his technique is fantastic. He jumps anything you put in front of him. We schooled him over fences last year and he was good at it. I think the Gold Cup is the greatest race, the Grand National is a handicap. For me, and most people in racing, it’s the pinnacle.”

Micky Hammond is not afraid to take on the big boys with 
100-1 rank outsider Just Cameron in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham next month.

The in-form Middleham trainer believes the nine-year-old will be no forlorn hope in the two-mile showpiece, especially if he repeats the form he showed last spring.

Just Cameron was only beaten three lengths by Un De Sceaux in the Grade One Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown.

The winner, trained by Willie Mullins, is odds-on at around 4-6 to follow-up his victory in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham last year.

However Just Cameron, a horse which has been instrumental in the career to date of Sheffield-born rider Joe Colliver who is now established as one of the North’s top conditionals, was an eyecatching second at Doncaster 10 days ago.

“He ran really well at Doncaster. We are aiming him at the two-mile Champion Chase rather than the Grand Annual,” said Hammond.

“Last spring he improved from race to race. He will be a big price, but he can run a big race.”