West End Rocker to deny Galway big race raiders

Date Published: 11-Apr-2012

IT’S almost hard to credit that three Galway owned horses are set to face the starter in National Hunt racing’s most famous race at Aintree on Saturday when Black Apalachi, Chicago Grey and Seabass will be endeavouring to follow in the hoof-prints of Bobbyjo, owned by the Burke family of Mountbellew, which won the Liverpool spectacular in 1999.

As a result, Galway based bookmakers are likely to report record turnover for the Grand National as punters latch onto the local horses for the four-mile marathon, with both Chicago Grey, owned by John Earls from Killimordaly, and Seabass, running in the colours of the Dunmore based Gunners Syndicate, among the market leaders to give Ireland its first victory in the race since 33/1 outsider Silver Birch five years ago.

Remarkably, that was then fledgling trainer’s Gordon’s Elliott’s first ever racecourse winner, but the Co. Meath based handler has since progressed to being a potent force on the Irish and cross-channel scene, and the fact that the yard has already saddled a Grand National winner will add even greater confidence behind the challenge of inmate Chicago Grey, already successful at the Cheltenham festival in 2011 when the currently sidelined Derek O’Connor did the steering.

If we thought that the parish of Killimordaly went mad when the local hurlers – captained by John Earls’ brother Michael – won the Galway senior hurling title for the only time in 1986, the place will go ‘ballistic’ altogether if the popular grey, a best priced 14/1 chance, can use his undoubted stamina (he won the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham over four miles) to fend off the other 39 starters.

Chicago Grey has been specially prepared for the race and the horse’s ‘warm up’ run saw him finish a 16 lengths second to Rubi Light in the Red Mills Chase over an inadequate trip at Gowran Park in late February. Trainer Elliott is optimistic that the nine-year-old will give a good account of himself in Aintree provided he doesn’t get detached from the field in the early stages of the race.

Possibly the last thing on the Gunners Syndicate’s minds at the start of the season was a crack at the Aintree Grand National, but such has been the rate of progress of Seabass since last November that the Ted Walsh trained nine-year-old has gone up over three stone in the ratings after extending his winning sequence to seven when landing the Paddypower.Com Chase over the minimum trip in Naas in late February.

Around 16/1 for the National, Seabass has won over three miles in the past and connections are positive about his prospects of staying the marathon trip in Aintree. Most effective when there is some cut in the ground, the horse has already proven a prolific money-spinner for the Galway syndicate comprised of Pat Glynn, Robbie Byrne, brothers Niall and Donal Collins, Pat Gleeson and John Harte whose pride and joy will be seeking to crown a fairytale season.

Though Seabass and Chicago Grey will be making their virginal assaults on the Grand National, the third Galway contender, Black Apalachi, is a veteran of the unique Aintree-style fences. Winner of the Beecher Chase at the track in 2008, the 13-year-old came within five lengths of landing the big one itself when runner up to Don’t Push It in 2010 despite clouting the third last. The previous year, however, was possibly the real missed opportunity as he was tanking along in front when coming to grief at Beecher’s Brook.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.