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Jack Hackett set for Grand Sefton at Aintree

Jack Hackett en route to winning at Kilbeggan in June Jack Hackett en route to winning at Kilbeggan in June
© Healy Racing Photos

A regular participant at his local track of Kilbeggan where he has registered two of his three wins over fences, Jack Hackett is set to try something different on Saturday when he is due to line up at Aintree.

Owned and bred by Sean Reilly, the Beat Hollow eight-year-old will tackle the famous Grand National fences for the first time in the Boylesports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over 2m5f, with Robbie Dunne in the saddle.

Trainer Ciaran Murphy said: "He has a lovely weight.

"We are doing something different with him this winter to see if he takes to those fences. If he does, we could look at something like the Becher Chase at Aintree and he could also go the cross-country route.

"He had time off since his last run in Kilbeggan in early September and we gave him a spin in a charity race at Leopardstown last month. He's fresh and well and in good form.

"There's no pressure on him, we want to see if he takes to the fences."

Fifteen have been declared to run in the £100,000 contest with the Jessica Harrington-trained Lifetime Ambition, a Grade 3 winner at Limerick in March, providing further Irish interest.

Additional reporting by Michael Graham

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.