Guest gets Paris mount

Last year`s winning Martell Grand National rider Richard Guest has been booked for Paris Pike in next month`s Stg#500,000 Aintree spectacular, trainer Ferdy Murphy confirmed today.

'Richard`s an excellent horseman and should suit the horse,' said the Middleham trainer.

Guest, stable jockey and assistant to Norman Mason, won the National last April for the Durham permit-holder on Red Marauder.

But that horse has been ruled out of the race because of a leg injury and as Mason`s other entries are unlikely to run Murphy snapped up Guest for Paris Pike, the 2000 Scottish Grand National winner.

And Murphy revealed that Paris Pike and Guest will have a get-to-know-you session over National-style fences closer to April 6th.

'Paris Pike is fairly straightforward. It`s just a matter of keeping him ticking over now. Richard will come down and pop him over some Aintree-type fences we`ll have at Middleham about a week or 10 days before the race,' said the trainer.

Guest has completed the course in three of eight National attempts. As well as being successful on Red Marauder he was runner-up on Romany King in 1992 - his first ride in the race.

All of Murphy`s five National hopefuls - Paris Pike, Ackzo, Luzcadou, Birkdale and Streamstown - were on show at Aintree today.

'They are just having a canter up the course at a Press call,' said Murphy.

The trainer reported that Streamstown was none the worse after being pulled up in the Marstons Pedigree Grand National at Uttoxeter last Saturday when carrying top weight of 11st 10lb on heavy going.

'It was a combination of the weight and the ground. Tony`s (McCoy) very clever, he wasn`t going to do anything stupid on him. He pulled him up and did the right thing.

Paris Pike is a 20-1 chance with William Hill for the National.