Racing: Marauder pleases in work-out

Red Marauder, winner of the 2001 Martell Grand National, pleased his connections in his first serious piece of work of the season.

Trainer Norman Mason put the 12-year-old through his paces this morning with assistant and stable jockey Richard Guest in the saddle.

Red Marauder has been off the track since his Aintree win 10 months ago and plans to run him in a charity flat race at Hereford on March 8 still seem to be set to go ahead, as long as he comes through the scan he will undergo tomorrow. Guest said: ‘‘It went fine, no problems. We’ll wait for the scan now. I’m touching as much wood as I can find.’’

Mason revealed that the horse will not be risked if he is not fully fit and he may consider sending Peter Marsh Chase winner Red Striker to Aintree in his place.

The trainer added: ‘‘If the scan is okay then the plan is still to go to Hereford.

‘‘He’s never had a serious problem since he won but I don’t want the problems he has had to get serious, if you see what I mean.

‘‘If he’s not right for the National then we could give him another rest and aim him at something like the Hennessy next season and let Red Striker run in the National - we wouldn’t run both though.’’