Henderson Backs Waley-Cohen Nicky Henderson has given amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen a vote of confidence ahead of his date with destiny in the John Smith's Grand National.Waley-Cohen will be aboard the Henderson-trained Liberthine at Aintree on April 14 after the pair finished ninth in their warm-up event at the Cheltenham Festival.The eight-year-old mare won the Topham Chase over the National fences for Waley-Cohen last year despite a similarly lacklustre effort at the Festival, so Henderson remains unconcerned.'She is on course, the National has always been the plan,' he said.'In fact, she came in and won the Topham last year off a similar run in the Kim Muir so I would be very happy with her.'Sam Waley-Cohen wasn't eligible to ride last year and this year he is and I would have no worries about him as he's won two Foxhunters and a Topham, so he knows his way around these fences as well as anybody does.'(C) PA Sport
