Ballycassidy to bypass National

BALLYCASSIDY will bypass the John Smith's Grand National on Saturday week in preference to an assignment at Aintree a day earlier.

Peter Bowen's 10-year-old, a 25-1 chance with totesport to win the four-mile-four-furlong marathon, will instead go for the betfair.com Handicap Chase on the Friday of the three-day meeting at the Merseyside venue.

"We were tempted to have a crack at the National because he's run well round Aintree before," said Ballycassidy's joint-owner Roddy Owen.