Cash injection for Aintree National
The news was announced as this year’s winner of the race, Silver Birch, was paraded by trainer Gordon Elliott at his Trim stables in County Meath yesterday ahead of a return to action next autumn.
The 10-year-old was spring-heeled over the gigantic fences in April to provide Elliott with success on the world stage, but he has been ruled out for the current campaign after heat was found in his near-fore leg.
Elliott, who worked for shrewd cookies Martin Pipe and Tony Martin before setting up as a trainer in his own right in 2006, said: “The horse isn’t too bad – we just got the warning that there was heat in his off-fore and decided to back off him.
“The vet will look at him next week to decide if we fire it.
“We could have pushed on and tried to get him ready for Aintree again in April but we decided to give him time, and he will go off to his owner’s next week for a break.
“He will have about 10 months off and we will bring him back about this time next year.
“In the build-up to the National we will run him in the cross-country race at Cheltenham again as that really freshened him up.
“But I couldn’t be happier with him and he is only 10-years-old – don’t forget Amberleigh House was 12 when he won it.”
Elliott also expressed his pleasure at the way his career has progressed since Silver Birch’s victory, with his string having grown from around 25 horses to nearer 40 now.
He added: “Things have gone great since April and I am still getting calls from new owners, so winning did a lot of good.”
Among his stable stars are 2004 Derby fifth Salford City, who Elliott believes could develop into a Champion Hurdle contender, and Rocking Ship who is yet to race for his new connections but is being aimed at the Maryland Hunt Cup in America next spring.
