Moffatt is relaxed as National ride looks unlikely

Highland Lodge and Henry Brooke jump the final fence as they win the Betfred Becher Chase in December last year but they are unlikely to feature in this years Grand National (Picture: John Giles/PA).

Despite winning last December’s Becher Chase over the iconic National obstacles, the quality of this year’s race is such that Moffatt’s stable star – the intended mount of Middleham jockey Henry Brooke – needs an improbable seven horses to be withdrawn by Friday morning at the latest.

The Cumbrian trainer is not alone. Pineau De Re, the 2014 Aintree conqueror, needs six higher-rated rivals to be omitted while Alvarado, fourth in the last two Nationals, requires eight eliminations – one more than Highland Lodge.

Yet, given that Highland Lodge’s owners Simon and Julie Wilson are mourning the loss of their teenage son Patrick who died in February from a brain tumour, this family tragedy puts into perspective the disappointment of missing Aintree.

It was their late son who led up Highland Lodge at Aintree last December, with the victory providing hope not just to the Wilson family but the wider Cumbrian community who were coming to terms with devastating floods that weekend.

“There are worse things that can happen,” a phlegmatic Moffatt told The Yorkshire Post. “Simon’s family have proven that.

“We’ll just have to try and win the Scottish National at Ayr on Saturday week, and then we should be guaranteed a run in next year’s National.

“It’s disappointing, but I have no complaints. As I say, there are worse things ...”

Moffatt, who only has around 15 horses in training, maintains that it was the right decision not to race Highland Lodge in January or early February in a bid to win and boost the horse’s rating prior to the publication of the National weights in mid-February.

He says Highland Lodge, a lightly-raced 10-year-old, is best when fresh and that the BHA chief handicapper Phil Smith had already made considerable allowance for the Becher Chase win.

However, the likelihood that three horses with proven Aintree form are likely to miss the National could prompt the entry rules to be revised next year.

On the one hand, bosses at the Merseyside track are pleased that the race now attracts horses of the calibre of two-time King George hero Silviniaco Conti, one of six entries form the yard of champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Yet the executive also want to favour horses with proven course form, hence Aintree boss John Baker suggesting that the winner of the Becher Chase could earn automatic entry for the National in the future.

“The Grand National is evolving and has taken a different form over the last few years. The quality of the race improves all the time, which we wanted, but that has consequences,” he said.

“In the old days you could not have envisaged horses like Pineau De Re and Alvarado missing out, but having so many good horses looking to get into the race is a nice problem to have.

“We want the Becher Chase to be a proper Grand National Trial and to connect the two races. Highland Lodge, this season’s winner, might not get in, so that could possibly be a ‘win and you are in’ race.”

The same principle could apply to Haydock’s Grand National Trial, though this year’s victor Bishops Road, trained by Kerry Lee, only needs one defection in order to make the line-up on Saturday.

With Pineau De Re an unlikely runner, North Yorkshire jockey Brian Hughes – who recently brought up his second successive century of winners – has been booked to ride O’Faolains Boy for West Wales trainer Rebecca Curtis.

A previous winner of the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival the horse was a far from disgraced seventh to Don Cossack in last month’s Gold Cup but will have to carry 11st 1lb in the marathon. “I think Brian has a good record round Aintree and he’s a straightforward horse. I’m delighted to have Brian riding him,” said Curtis.

Meanwhile, a fit-again Tom Scudamore has explained why he opted to ride Ballynagour, a 2014 Cheltenham Festival winner, over Soll, who has completed in two previous Nationals, and Vieux Lion Rouge, who will be ridden by Saltburn-born James Reveley.

“It was a very tough decision as all three have a similar chance,” explained Scudamore who has been out of action for two-and-a-half weeks with shoulder and rib injuries sustained at Uttoxeter on Midlands National day.

“Soll loves it round there, but is higher in the weights now, while Vieux Lion Rouge is an improving young horse. I went for Ballynagour as he has some very strong form with the likes of Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti and his run at Cheltenham suggested he is coming back to form.”