Taaffe Plots Path To Aintree Slim Pickings, third in last year´s John Smith´s Grand National, will have his final race before heading back to Aintree in the Mick Holly Memorial Handicap Chase at Leopardstown. While Mr Pointment and Cloudy Lane put their credentials on the line at Doncaster, Tom Taaffe´s nine-year-old, a general 16-1 chance to go two better than last year in Liverpool, will showcase his talents on Sunday. Unfortunately, he slipped up during his last run but Taaffe says there are no ill effects from that spill. "He was fine after it, it was just one of those silly things, he just slipped up on the flat," said Taaffe. "The plan is the National again after he runs on Sunday. "He ran a fine race over hurdles at Navan (second to Emotional Moment) and I think he would have run a big race the day he slipped up. "It´s back over fences on Sunday obviously but I´m looking for him to run well. "This will more than likely be his last run before Aintree. We ran him at Cheltenham last year before, and he ran a blinder in the Racing Post Plate but he has been trained with the National in mind this year. "The National is a lottery and when Aldaniti won it he fell at the first the next year but at least we know our lad had a good experience there last year. "The aim is to get there with a fresh horse and a fit horse and please God we´ll get him there in one piece." Taaffe also had news of his stable star Kicking King, who will shortly aim to win back the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown he gained in 2005. "He´s good now, thank God," said Taaffe. "He´ll do his last piece of work late next week but we are all pleased with him at the moment." (C) PA Sport
