Taaffe hopeful with High Grass Tom Taaffe is hoping for a big run from In The High Grass in Friday´s #110,000 John Smith´s Topham Chase over the National fences. A winner on his latest start in a Listed three-mile chase at Cork, In The High Grass will carry 10st 4lb in the extended two miles and five furlong contest should the Michael Hourigan-trained top-weight Hi Cloy stand his ground. "In The High Grass was confirmed this morning for the John Smith´s Grand National as well and it will literally be a 9.55am decision on Friday morning but at the moment he is going for the John Smith´s Topham Chase. "If he gets into the National, he will go there. He has a great chance of getting in because he now goes to the top of the 10st 6lb horses. "He won well at Cork - a slightly different type of fence and there will be a few more runners at Aintree but he has been schooling over Aintree style fences and he is very good in that department. "I´d like genuine, nice ground. Irish good to yielding or good, safe ground would do me for all my runners over the three days. He has a good competitive weight for both races." Among the bumper 63 entries in the John Smith´s Topham Chase are the Paul Nicholls-trained pair of Natal and Gwanako, the Nicky Henderson-trained Kenzo III and the Tom George-trained Nacarat, while the Irish raiding party includes the Arthur Moore-trained Well Tutored and Vintage Treasure from Charles Byrne´s yard.
