Irish team eye Aintree glory

Sean Curran feels Iris De Balme could be a serious Grand National contender after his 66-1 success in the Coral-sponsored Scottish equivalent at Ayr.

The eight-year-old showed an extraordinary turn of foot in the closing stages of the stamina-expending feature to defeat Halcon Genelardais by 14 lengths - despite being 26lb out of the handicap.

Iris De Balme’s triumph represented the biggest moment so far in the career of the Oxfordshire-based Curran, who has only been training for 18 months and is still a licensed jump jockey.

The 37-year-old has ridden over 100 winners and finished sixth aboard Killeshin in the 1998 Grand National.

Curran now dares to dream of going even closer at Aintree, only this time as a trainer.

“We entered Iris De Balme in the National two years ago but he had such a lowly rating we had to take him out,” said the Faringdon handler.

“We’ll take each race as it comes but with the rating he’s now going to get, you would have to look at races like that (the Grand National).

“The amazing thing is that he’s still a novice over fences and over hurdles.”

Held up in the rear for most of the Scottish Grand National, Charlie Huxley’s mount began to devour ground from seven out and gained a definitive lead at the penultimate obstacle.

There was no stopping the chestnut gelding from that juncture – especially once Halcon Genelardais, fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, made an unseemly hash of the final fence.

“Going up there 26lb out of the handicap, we just wanted him to run respectively,” reflected Curran.

“If he’d have finished about 10th, and not been beaten by far, we’d have been thrilled.

“Going down the back straight, I’d have just been happy to get a place.

“But he stayed and jumped – and then showed that amazing speed.”

Curran hopes Iris De Balme’s tremendous display acts as a catalyst for brisk business at Grey Fox Stables, whose landlord, Lee Power, is also joint-owner of the Scottish National winner.

“It’s a massive victory for everyone at the yard and hopefully it has put us on the map,” added Curran.

“To have a runner in a big race like that is a huge achievement for a small yard like ours.

“But to actually win it, that’s something else.”

Not content with his heroics at Ayr, Iris De Balme is also likely to line up in Sandown’s bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the National Hunt season.

“I ride him every day so I’ll know whether he will be fit for Sandown,” said Curran.

“I don’t want to run him just for the sake of it.

“But if the ground was no quicker than good, and he’s in good form, we will give it a go.”

Before that, however, Curran will be hauled back down to earth at Plumpton on Monday, when he rides the Power-owned Explosive Fox in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Handicap Chase.

“I’ve also got a couple more entries on the card so hopefully we can bang in another winner to keep the ball rolling.”