Hughes has grounds for Drinmore optimism
The six-year-old bids for a Grade One triumph in the Drinmore Novice Chase on the back of a first win over fences at Thurles.
“He’s a good staying horse and gets the trip well. He goes well on heavy and it looks like being that way at the moment as we’ve had an awful lot of rain on Tuesday and it’s not finished yet,” said the Co Kildare trainer.
“Going on the ground will be a big asset to him and he’s in good form.
“He’ll be ridden to come off the pace. He likes that.
“It’s a very good race, it usually is, and maybe his owner Michael O’Leary might even have a better one in there with someone else. He has Last Instalment and First Lieutenant as well.”
Rare Bob will attempt to give Hughes his third winner of the Betfred Becher Chase in four years at Aintree on Saturday.
The trainer sent out Black Apalachi (2008) and Vic Venturi (2009) to win this handicap chase over the mighty Grand National fences, and expects Rare Bob to take to them.
“I’m looking forward to going over to Liverpool with Rare Bob. He travels over on Thursday evening, jockey arrangements haven’t been finalised yet, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get a decent jockey for him,” said Hughes.
“It doesn’t matter to him if it rains or not. He goes on good ground.
“I think he might like the Aintree course. He’s a good jumper, he likes a bit of a trip, three mile and two. The fences might be a bit of a challenge to him, so he might take to them.
“I wasn’t very pleased with him in Down Royal (in the JNwine.com Champion Chase). He never got hold of his bridle and really raced.
“I intended putting blinkers or cheekpieces on the next day he runs because he had them on before when he won, but I don’t think he needs them for Liverpool.
“He has plenty of weight to carry but I’d be hopeful of a good run.”
Master Overseer, 10-1 co-favourite with the sponsors for the Betfred Becher Chase, will not run at Aintree.
Trainer David Pipe revealed yesterday that the Brocade Racing-owned Coral Welsh National entry will swerve Aintree’s £100,000 highlight and instead run in a considerably less valuable contest the same day at Chepstow.
Meanwhile, Stuart Crawford is looking to have Killyglen primed for a second crack at the John Smith’s Grand National.
The nine-year-old was in the process of running a big race when he fell at the fourth-last fence in the Aintree showpiece in April.
The Co Antrim trainer was delighted with his run at Haydock recently when he was third to Cappa Bleu and plans to give the horse two more runs before the National.
“He ran well at Haydock and we’ll probably give him a bit of a break now until the New Year and we’ll pick a couple of chases for him and then hopefully go to Aintree,” said Crawford.
“We were very hopeful of him running a big race last year and he did. It was just disappointing after he jumped so well up to when he departed. It was such a shame he didn’t finish it.
“With a bit of luck and with the experience behind him from last season he should be all the better for it.”
