Jockey Davy Russell eyes an historic Grand National triple with Tiger Roll

DAVY RUSSELL is still hopeful that Tiger Roll will get his chance to enter the Grand National history books next year
Tiger Roll and Davy Russell clear the last in the 2019 Grand National.Tiger Roll and Davy Russell clear the last in the 2019 Grand National.
Tiger Roll and Davy Russell clear the last in the 2019 Grand National.
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This year’s renewal of the world’s greatest steeplechase was cancelled last week because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It denied the chance for Tiger Roll to attempt to become the first horse to win three successive runnings of the Aintree marathon.

Davy Russell celebrates Tiger Roll's second Grand National win.Davy Russell celebrates Tiger Roll's second Grand National win.
Davy Russell celebrates Tiger Roll's second Grand National win.
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Victorious in 2018 and 2019 under the peerless, and nerveless, Russell, victory on April 4 would have emulated the legendary Red Rum, who won back to back renewals in 1973 and 1974 before winning a third National in 1977 on a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon.

Trained in Ireland by Gordon Elliott, and owned by Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, Tiger Roll was second in the cross-country race at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this month before racing was suspended until the end of April at the earliest.

The veteran Russell, who began his professional career with the late West Witton trainer Ferdy Murphy, said: “You’d love a go, you’d love a crack at it, unfortunately it’s not to be, but we’ve won two and they’ve been very special.

“Gordon has said maybe there could be a chance he’ll stay in training to have a cut at it next year, so there’s always positives in things. We’ll have to wait and see, but it is a pity.

Enable's headline wins include this victory in the 2019 Yorkshire Oaks under Frankie Dettori.Enable's headline wins include this victory in the 2019 Yorkshire Oaks under Frankie Dettori.
Enable's headline wins include this victory in the 2019 Yorkshire Oaks under Frankie Dettori.
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“From this week in we’ve always been building towards a Grand National and the last two Nationals I’ve been to, I’ve won – it’s a happy hunting ground for me at the moment.

“It’s just unfortunate we’re not going to get a cut at it this year, but listening to the comments, there’s a chance he might be there next year.”

Russell has also been left wondering what might have been with Presenting Percy, after he fell two from home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He said: “I was about to pull the trigger on him – whether he would have won is in the lap of the gods, but I felt like I was going to finish in front of Monalee and I just felt at the time, turning off the bend, I had him covered and he finished a close fourth.

Frankie Dettori celebrates Enable's win in last year's Yorkshire Oaks.Frankie Dettori celebrates Enable's win in last year's Yorkshire Oaks.
Frankie Dettori celebrates Enable's win in last year's Yorkshire Oaks.
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“I was ready to pull the trigger on my lad to let him have one cut at him up the hill and unfortunately we didn’t get that opportunity.

“He’s a very good horse and Pat (Kelly) has had him in great shape – compared to last year it felt like I was riding a completely different horse.

“He was really on song and jumped brilliant up to that.”

All plans for John Gosden’s superstar mare Enable this summer are dependent on the length of British racing’s shutdown.

Frankie Dettori’s mount was just denied in her bid for an historic third consecutive victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at the end of last season, filling the runner-up spot behind Waldgeist to end her sequence of 12 straight victories.

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Less than a fortnight later, Enable’s owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah delighted racing fans by confirming his charge would stay in training as a six-year-old – with a return to Paris in the autumn top of the agenda.

But the outbreak of Covid-19 make it impossible for connections to firm up prep races.

However, Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe, also the chairman of York Racecourse, has provided a positive update on Enable’s wellbeing.

He said: “Enable is absolutely fine. She’s done well over the winter – she looks good and seems very happy.

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“She’s just cantering away at the moment. It’s obviously very difficult to make any plans – before this wretched thing started it was in her hands, whereas now it’s in the lap of the gods to a certain extent.

“It will be up to the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) to decide on a revised race programme when they’re able to do so.

“All we can do for the time being is hunker down and hope there is some light at the end of the tunnel.”

North Yorkshire trainer Ann Duffield believes her husband George, the former Classic-winning jockey, was an early victim of coronavirus.

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Writing on Facebook, she posted: “George is utterly convinced he had it in December, he was really ill for almost a month, headache, high temperature, dry lingering cough difficulty breathing, painful lungs etc. I had a lesser version of it over New Year.”

Plans by the BHA to revise the whip rules have been put on hold.

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