Mangan heads to Aintree with Conna and Whinstone Boy Trainer Jimmy Mangan is hoping to be doubly represented in this year's John Smith's Grand National. A maximum of 40 runners will face the starter in the world's most famous steeplechase on Saturday, April 10, and Whinstone Boy (10st 4lb) currently sits number 54 on the list of remaining entries. Connections will be hoping that the progressive nine-year-old gelding makes the cut as three of the Whinstone Syndicate were also involved in the Dee Syndicate that landed a huge gamble in the 2003 John Smith's Grand National with the Mangan-trained Monty's Pass. Whinstone Boy has triumphed on both his previous starts, following up a game victory in the valuable Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park on January 21 with an all-the-way success in a Clonmel chase on February 4. Mangan revealed: "At the moment, both horses will be going over for the John Smith's Grand National, although it is going to be tight if Whinstone Boy gets into the race. I will probably give him an entry in the John Smith's smithythehorse.com Handicap Hurdle on Friday as well, so he could take his chance in that if he misses the cut for the big one. "He is loving all of this rain at the moment and the key to him is cut in the ground - the softer the better. If the going came up too fast, then he wouldn't run at Aintree, but I can't see that happening in this weather. "He would have a perfect racing weight if he got in the John Smith's Grand National and hopefully Sean Flanagan will be on board him again. We will have a better idea of where we stand after the five-day confirmations on Monday. "Three of the owners were involved with Monty's Pass, so they have tasted the big glory before, although the prize money has gone up a bit since then!" While Mangan faces an anxious wait with Whinstone Boy, Conna Castle (10st 9lb) is all set to take his chance in the John Smith's Grand National. The 11-year-old boasts top-class form, having beaten this year's Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Big Zeb in the Grade One Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse in March, 2008. On his latest start, Conna Castle was in the process of running a big race, lying in second when unseating Pat Mangan, the trainer's son, at the final fence in a Thurles chase on February 26. Mangan continued: "Conna Castle was a bit unlucky last time out and he would have been a good second to Let Yourself Go, who is going for the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse over the weekend. It was still a great run on very heavy ground and he prefers better going. "We missed the John Smith's Grand National last year with him but he's 11 now and we decided that he deserved to have a crack at the race. He has run well on the Mildmay course before, including when coming second in the Top Novices' Hurdle there four years ago."
