Grand National Trial preview It is 14 years since Hedgehunter won the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown from just 9st3lbs and while Sunday’s renewal for the Grade B racinguk.com/freetrial sponsored event will do well to replicate his later successes, it is likely to provide informative for some of the upcoming big staying handicap chases. Hedgehunter, in marvellous hindsight, was one of the bets of the decade, at odds of 7/1, to win the 3m4f race in 2003 from a rating of just 114, with claiming jockey Sam Curling taking off a further 7lbs. Two years later the Trevor Hemmings owned gelding famously went on to win the Aintree Grand National for trainer Willie Mullins, who sends out sole runner Sambremont in this year’s renewal of the 15 runner contest. Sambremont was last a winner in February 2016 and while he is likely to be suited by conditions, needs to show more than when pulling up in in last month’s Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown. One horse possessing good recent Grade A form is the Noel Meade trained Bonny Kate which finished third in last month’s Thyestes Chase at Gowran. She was also third in the earlier Troytown Chase at Navan in November and is well suited by both today’s staying trip and testing ground. Top weight Roi Des Francs was tenth in the Thyestes Chase and while he is talented but a little exposed, his rider Luke McGuinness has just his second professional ride on the gelding and takes off 7lbs. McGuinness has ridden 14 winners as an amateur jockey and is another to join the list of jockeys at employer Gordon Elliott’s disposal. Father/son Liam and Jonathan Burke team up with 2016 Thyestes winner My Murphy in the race while husband/wife Ross O’Sullivan and Katie Walsh combine with National regular Baie Des Iles, which filled sixth place in last year’s Irish Grand National and fifth in December’s Welsh Grand National.
