Power looks for repeat on Glen Killyglen will bid to give jockey Robbie Power a second victory in the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week. He partnered Silver Birch to win the great race in 2007 and trainer Stuart Crawford hopes for a big run from his partner this time around. He won the Grade Two Mildmay Novices' Chase over the smaller fences of the Mildmay course in 2009, when trained by Howard Johnson, and Crawford draws further confidence from the fact that Killyglen has shown good form in a light campaign this time around. He finished sixth after making much of the running under top-weight when fancied to put up a bold show in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster on March 5th and connections feel that outing will have put him spot-on for Aintree. "I was happy enough with the way the horse went at Doncaster but I just think they went too fast that day. The winner, Always Right, and the second horse both came from behind," Crawford said. "If you look at the form, David Pipe's horse Minella Four Star has gone on to win the Midlands National - he was struggling to go the gallop that day and pulled up five out. "I was a wee bit disappointed when I got home from Doncaster because I was expecting a big run from Killyglen but when I sat back and looked at the time, it was eight seconds quicker than the year before and it was slower ground this year. It probably ended up being a good enough run from him. "If things had worked out differently that day I'd have been sitting here with a horse that had a good result and would probably be one of the leading fancies. That could have led to a lot of attention that I could do without, so maybe it will work out for the best - we'll see. "It's interesting to look back through the National in the recent past - how many horses have gone on and won the race off the back of a mediocre run the time before." Crawford is pleased with Killyglen - owned by fellow Ulsterman David McCammon - who will be partnered by Power for the second time, the pair having finished fifth to Kalahari King in a handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in 2008. The trainer continued: "Killyglen is doing well at the moment and it's definitely all systems go for next week. We're just hoping it stays quite dry - we don't want any rain for him. "Everything has gone well so far and he has had no setbacks. He did a piece of work after racing at Navan on Saturday. He jumped half a dozen fences and worked up the straight - he pleased me there. Robbie Power rode him and he was happy with him. "Robbie will ride him in the National. He knows his way around and you will probably not get a better jumping rider. He has a lot of experience from his showjumping days as well."
