Unioniste blasts into orbit behind Neptune

JOHN Hales hopes Charlie Hall contender Unioniste will one day match the feat of his now retired Neptune Collonges and become a Grand National winner.

Neptune Collonges was actually second to Our Vic in the 2006 Wetherby feature – he was Sam Thomas’s first ride for Paul Nicholls – before triumphing at Aintree in 2012.

Just five-years-old, Unioniste has time on his side as prepares to take on former Gold Cup hero Long Run as well as the Yorkshire-trained pair of Cape Tribulation and Master of the Hall.

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“He is absolutely A1. Paul has him in a superb condition,” said Hales whose great One Man won two renewals of this race in the 1990s. “Like Neptune, he’s by Dom Alco. He is a lovely horse. He is only a baby, but he has strengthened up quickly since his big win at Cheltenham last December. He’s a brilliant jumper. It’s a new season but we have to keep our fingers crossed. Long term, and once he is seven, he might be a fantastic National horse.”

In his work on Monday, Hales said Unioniste was outpaced by forgotten star Al Ferof who has now recovered from injury and will reappear at Ascot later this month before lining up in Kempton’s King George. The owner believes Al Ferof could still become a Gold Cup contender.