Brassil Counting On Numbersix

Numbersixvalverde goes for a valuable handicap double in tomorrow´s Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National with trainer Martin Brassil confident he will 'love' the three-mile-five-furlong trip.

The winner of the Thyestes Chase at Gowran in January, Numbersixvalverde is the current favourite for Ireland´s most valuable chase and goes to Fairyhouse having missed the Cheltenham Festival.

But he has yet to run over such an extensive distance, having raced no further than three miles so far in his career.

'I am very happy with him, and I have kept him for this race as the ground was a bit too dry for him at Cheltenham,' said Kildare-based Brassil.

'He´ll love the trip, and if he gets round, I´d be hopeful of a good run, as he has as good form as any in the race.'

The nine-year-old faces a rematch with another market leader, Point Barrow, who defeated him in the Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan last month, but Brassil believes he can turn the tables on his rival.

'He´s experienced for a novice and a good jumper, and I think he would have beaten Point Barrow at Navan if it wasn´t for one mistake he made five from home,' he added.

Point Barrow has had an outing at Cheltenham in the meantime, finishing fifth in the four-mile-one-furlong National Hunt Chase, but his handler Pat Hughes believes he is none the worse for it.

'He seems 100 per cent. There are no signs as such, but of course it is hard to say after running for four miles whether I have bottomed him out,' he said.

'He looks fine - he never looks very special or does anything special at home.'

Point Barrow is also a novice, and although he had only an average start over fences, he quickly rose through the ranks and landed a Grade Two at Naas in January, an improvement Hughes attributes to a change of tactics.

'We used to hold him up and it did not seem to be working, so after he ran at Punchestown in November, we decided to run him up there with the pace,' he explained.

'It worked, and even though he is running over a longer distance, that is what we will do again. He stays, and Joey Elliott knows him well - he has won three times on him.'

A field of 27 will line up for the prize, worth in excess of 100,00 Euro including Arthur Moore´s Pierse Leopardstown Chase winner Marcus Du Berlais, Thyestes Chase second Kymandjen and What Odds, who was yesterday the subject ofa large wager by successful owner/gambler Mike Futter.

? PA Sport