Horse racing: Smarty on strange course for Aintree

Trainer Mark Pitman is likely to take an unorthodox route in preparing Aintree Grand National hopeful Smarty for the big race.

‘‘He’s rated 133 over fences so if he runs in a little handicap he’s got to lump loads of weight around which wouldn’t be right on him,’’ Pitman said. ‘‘If I find a little novice hurdle for him, in which he gets a 5lb or a 7lb penalty then that is going to be a lot better for him.

‘‘I even think he’s 7-10lb better at Aintree. He likes the track and he likes the fences. I’m looking forward to getting him there again.’’

Numerically, the most powerful entry comes from champion trainer Martin Pipe, who has 16 in the race.

‘‘I enter the horses I think will jump round and that I hope will stay the trip I try to take comfort from the old adage about two-and-a-half-mile horses winning the National,’’ Pipe said.

‘‘Tony McCoy said last year that he would have won if Blowing Wind hadn’t have fallen (was remounted to finish third) and he will be aimed at the race again.

But by far and away the most confident trainer present was Aintree’s old hand, Ginger McCain, who sent out Red Rum to win the race three times in the 1970s.

He will be represented in this year’s contest by Amberleigh House, the winner of the Tote Becher Chase over the National fences on his last start.

The only thing hampering McCain’s optimism is the fact that his mount has been set only 9st 6lb to carry, meaning that a total of 37 horses above him in the weights must come out if he is to get a run.

‘‘I don’t know what that Phil Smith thinks he is playing at,’’ McCain smiled.

‘‘I saw him last week and I told him that the owner, John Halewood, would send him a crate of his favourite tipple if he made sure we got in the weights.

‘‘But Phil promises me we’ll still get in and I really hope so.

‘‘He won at Aintree with his ears pricked. I’ve watched that video again and again and he was foot-perfect.