Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is confident Bristol De Mai 'will win' this Saturday's William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock Park – if he repeats his recent run at Lingfield.
Twiston-Davies' popular 11-year-old grey has had all his biggest successes at the Merseyside track, winning the Grade One Betfair Chase three times as well as two Grade Two victories in a Novices' Chase and the Peter Marsh Chase.
He was pulled up in his bid for a record-equalling fourth success in the Betfair behind Cheltenham Festival -bound A Plus Tard in November. But Bristol De Mai was a close-up third to another Grand National entrant Two For Gold in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield last month.
Bristol De Mai, who was also pulled up in the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse last April, is not one of those entered in this year's renewal.
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He is one of six of the 16 current entries for Saturday's Grand National Trial who are not also engaged in the Aintree showpiece.
Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Bristol De Mai is a best-priced 12-1 for the William Hill Trial behind the general 4-1 favourite Secret Reprieve for Welsh trainer and Everton FC fan Evan Williams.
Speaking on his William Hill blog, the Naunton handler said: "Bristol De Mai is going to go for the William Hill Grand National Trial on Saturday, and if he runs as well as he did at Lingfield he’ll win it no problem. He looks in exceptional form and the only real worry is that the racing will be called off with there being so much rain around."
Bristol De Mai is also among the current nine entries for the other feature on the seven-race Haydock card, the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle.
But Twiston-Davies will rely on Wholestone – also owned by Munir and Souede - in the Rendlesham, as the 11-year-old returns from an absence of 455 days.
Wholestone has won in Grade Two company in the past, but he fell on his most recent start, also at Haydock, back in November 2020.
He is 10-1 to make a winning return this Saturday behind 2-1 favourite Thomas Darby and the Dan Skelton-trained Molly Ollys Wishes, who is generally a 5-2 chance.
Twiston-Davies added: "We’re looking forward to having Wholestone back in the Rendlesham. He struck into his foot badly last time and it’s taken a little while to get him back. His foot fell apart and they’ve had to rebuild it, but he’s back and ready to run. He’s as fit as we can get him."
READ MORE Last year's winner Lord Du Mesnil heads 16 entries for the Grand National Trial at Haydock
In opposition to Bristol De Mai this Saturday is another Haydock specialist in Richard Hobson’s Lord Du Mesnil – who is owned by a syndicate which includes Mike and Mandy Smith from Wirral. He is a three-time winner at the Merseyside track and will be looking to continue that love affair with Haydock with a second successive victory in Saturday's extended 3m4f Grade Three Grand National Trial.
Lord Du Mesnil is also among the current 103 entered in the Grand National itself, and he was handed 10st7lb after the weights were revealed at the traditional lunch at the Rum Warehouse in the Stanley Dock earlier this week.
Now an nine-year-old, Lord Du Mesnil was pulled up in last year's Grand National but is a 12-1 chance with bet365 and Coral in his bid to become the first horse to land the Haydock Trial in successive years since Silver By Nature in 2010 and 2011.
READ MORE Trainers, jockeys and owners' reaction to Grand National weights
Twiston-Davies has Good Boy Bobby entered in the Grand National and he will carry 10st7lb at Aintree on April 9.
The nine-year-old is another who carries the two-tone green colours of owners Munir and Souede – and he was a fine winner of the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby over Christmas.
Good Boy Bobby is a general 40-1 chance for the National with several firms including William Hill, Coral and Paddy Power.
He is set to run at Kempton two weeks on Saturday before heading to Aintree for a crack at the world's greatest steeplechase, which his trainer has won twice with Earth Summit (1997) and Bindaree (2002).
Twiston-Davies said: "Good Boy Bobby has been given 10st7lb for the Grand National which looks ideal. We’ve got no idea as to whether he’ll see out the National trip, but he’s bred for it and we’ll find out on the day. He’s going to run in what was the Racing Post Chase at Kempton next, which should set him up nicely for the big one at Aintree."
Haydock's Grand National Trial day features seven races with the opener, the William Hill Cheltenham Non Runner Money Back Novices Limited Handicap Chase, due off at 1pm. The finale, the Pertemps Network Walrus Open Hunters' Chase, is at 4.25pm. Gates open at 11am and general admission tickets start at £20.
For tickets and more information on Haydock's Grand National Trial day go to https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/grand-national-trial/
For information regarding tickets for the Cheltenham Festival visit thejockeyclub.co.uk/Cheltenham and for the Randox Grand National Festival visit thejockeyclub.co.uk/Aintree.
Full list of 16 entries for the 2022 Unibet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Grade 3) at Haydock Park this Saturday (2.40pm)
1. Bristol De Mai (FR) 11-11-12 Simon Munir & Isaac Soude (owner), Nigel Twiston-Davies (trainer)
2. Lord du Mesnil (FR) 9-11-03 Mr Paul Porter & Mike & Mandy Smith, Richard Hobson
3. Sam Brown 10-11-02 Mr TC Frost, Anthony Honeyball
4. Kalooki (GER) 8-10-12 Mr Andrew L Cohen, Philip Hobbs
5. Blaklion 13-10-12 Darren & Annaley Yates, Dan Skelton
6. Time To Get Up (IRE) 9-10-11 Mr John P McManus, Jonjo O'Neill
7. Fortescue 8-10-10 Mr TFF Nixon, Henry Daly
8. Commodore (FR) 10-10-09 Mrs C Watson & Mrs S Graham, Venetia Williams
9. Full Back (FR) 7-10-07 Mr Ashley Head, Gary Moore
10. The Galloping Bear 9-10-07 Adrian Paterson, Ben Clarke
11. Secret Reprieve (IRE) 8-10-05 Mr & Mrs William Rucker, Evan Williams
12. Enqarde 8-10-04 Off The Clock Parners & Dr Richard Newland, Dr Richard Newland
13. Mint Condition 8-10-04 Whites Property Limited, Jennie Candlihs
14. Achille 12-10-02 Mrs Vida Bingham, Venetia Williams
15. Sidi Ismail 8-10-02 The Show Is Over Syndicate, David Pipe
16. Gwencily Berbas (FR) 11-9-11 Mr Aidan J Ryan, David Pipe
