Comply can be national hero
David Pipe can take another step towards emulating his father’s fantastic achievements by winning the John Smith’s Grand National with Comply Or Die.
Owned by David Johnson, a long-standing patron of the Pond House yard, there would not be many who would begrudge the younger Pipe such a success in only his second season at the helm.
Martin Pipe broke every record available and revolutionised training horses, with the victory of Miinnehoma at Aintree in 1994 giving him one of his greatest days.
In the shape of Comply Or Die, his son now has a realistic candidate to help write his own name into the record books.
As a nine-year-old he would appear to be in the right age bracket and the National will be only his 20th career start.
In his novice-chase days he was considered not far off top class, finishing second to Trabolgan in the 2005 Royal & SunAlliance Chase.
After finishing fourth in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury later the same year he ran in the Welsh National, but was pulled up.
He then had a year off before returning at Cheltenham earlier this season in October, when Pipe’s charge showed little – as he did a month later at the same track.
But by the time Comply Or Die turned up at Haydock in December he had dropped 14lb in the handicap and that allowed him to give National favourite Cloudy Lane a real fright as he went down by two and a half lengths.
Pipe put the transformation down to first-time blinkers and again fitted them when he won the Eider Chase at Newcastle over four miles and a furlong, meaning he will be one of only a handful in the field guaranteed to stay the distance.
Comply Or Die has a 4lb turnaround at the weights with Cloudy Lane and if Pipe jnr is a chip off the old block – like many suspect he is – there should be a fair bit of improvement to come.
Bewleys Berry can chase him home. Howard Johnson’s charge was in the process of running a blinder in the race last year when he crumpled on landing after jumping Becher’s Brook on the second circuit.
He showed his love affair with these daunting fences was still intact by running a stormer behind Mr Pointment in the Becher Chase in November.
Tom Taaffe’s Slim Pickings ran a blinder to finish third last year and can fill the same spot again, while one who could take minor honours at huge odds is Mouse Morris’ Baily Breeze.
The John Smith’s Maghull Chase looks at the mercy of Howard Johnson’s Tidal Bay, runaway winner of the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham and unbeaten in two starts over fences here.
Have You Seen Me is held in high regard and can take the John Smith’s-sponsored bumper for the Carl Llewellyn yard, while the Scottish And Newcastle Pub Enterprises Aintree Hurdle has once again long been the target for Al Eile.
The John Queally-trained seven-year-old took the latter event in 2005 and 2007 and has had a nice break since finishing seventh to Harchibald on the Flat at Dundalk in February.
Orientalist Art is recommended in the International Trial Stakes at Lingfield.
The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained three-year-old found only the very useful Luck Money too good on his sole juvenile outing and duly made a successful reappearance over this course and distance last month.
Still green that day, his trainer will have left plenty to work with as he progresses to a crack at some loftier prizes.
Internationaldebut has shown far too much promise to stay without a win for much longer and his time can come in the St James Security Maiden Stakes at Newcastle.
A far-from-disgraced ninth in last season’s Racing Post Trophy, he looked all over the winner at the mile pole at Doncaster on Lincoln day, only to run out of steam.
Best bet at Kempton comes in the shape of Commander Cave in the Panoramic Bar & Restaurant Loyalty Scheme Handicap.
The Richard Hannon team are flying and this one carried plenty of market confidence before opening his account at Lingfield last month.
Although hard to get too excited about Chepstow’s fare, Poseidon’s Secret merits an interest in the John Smith’s Peoples Race Novices’ Hurdle.
