Trainer Emma Lavelle believes De Rasher Counter has a big chance of victory in the Randox Grand National – if he takes to the fences at Aintree Racecourse.
The 10-year-old was out with a tendon injury for 489 days but made his return to action when fourth in the Grade Two Denman Chase at Newbury in February. That effort delighted his connections and he is now ready to head to Aintree for a crack at the Grand National, for which he is best-priced 66-1 with William Hill and Coral behind current 9-1 favourite Any Second Now.
De Rasher Counter is back down to the same handicap mark off which he won the Ladbrokes Trophy in 2019 at Newbury in fine style.
And Lavelle believes if he is back to that sort of form he will run a big race in the world’s greatest steeplechase this Saturday.
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She said: “He’s great, absolutely super. He’s had a great prep and he’s been away and had a nice gallop and we’ve schooled away from home with him so we couldn’t be happier.
“He had a tendon injury and the funny thing is the National has always been a race that we thought would suit him and it meant we could give him lots of time to get over the tendon injury and we did a lot of roadwork at the start of the year.
“Adam Wedge had him up and down hills at home in Wales and then he came back to us – the Denman Chase was the perfect prep run for him and that fitted the qualifications. That got him back and gave us a lovely amount of time afterwards to hopefully get him spot on for Aintree.
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“It was beautiful ground at Newbury and it was our Gold Cup horses having a run against each other. De Rasher Counter travelled with them and jumped brilliantly and was still there to the back of the second last when he took a bit of a blow. That was great and then Tom (Bellamy) looked after him after that. He finished fourth and we were delighted with him.
“He’s on the same mark that he was on when he won a Ladbrokes Trophy with 149. Every horse has got to take to the fences and get some luck in-running, but we’d be very happy with how everything has gone to this point. He’s got as good a chance as any really.”
De Rasher Counter has never encountered the famous Aintree obstacles, but Lavelle believes the bold jumping gelded son of Yeats has all the right attributes to thrive over them.
She added: “He loves jumping, he absolutely winged the fences round Newbury the other day and we’ve spruced up our own fences at home and he’s schooled over them the other day.
“He doesn’t bat an eyelid at things like that, he’s one of those horses that just has a small touch of madness in there, so he’s kind of quite happy once he’s up and running – things don’t faze him. The only issue I’d have really is just to make sure we keep a lid on him during preliminaries.
“He’s got a touch of class about him and maybe has that little bit of pace that might count for plenty at Aintree.”
Lavelle also has a possible second representative in Warwick's Classic Chase winner Eclair Surf. The eight-year-old was also runner-up in the marathon Eider Chase at Newcastle in February – the form of which was boosted by the winner, Win My Wings, also scoring in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr over the weekend.
Eclair Surf is not yet guaranteed to make the cut for the maximum 40-strong field for the Aintree showpiece. He is 46th on the list and needs a few horses above him in the weights to come out either at Monday's five-day declaration stage or when the final field are declared on Thursday morning.
Even if he doesn't get in this Saturday's big race, Lavelle feels he will get a chance over the next few years.
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She said: “He’s eight-years-old so there’s no doubt that he definitely has time on his side as far as the Grand National is concerned. What it does show you though is how tough it is to even get a run in the race, as he’s rated 143.
“With that in mind you sort of feel that if we do get in we’ll take our chance and if we don’t then hopefully we’ll have a crack next year.”
Lavelle has only ever saddled on runner in the Grand National, when Court By Supreme was pulled-up on the second circuit in 2015. While things didn't go has hoped, the Wiltshire-based trainer enjoyed the experience.
She said: “It’s a fantastic occasion and my first runner in the National was Court By Supreme, who led over the Water Jump and pulled up the fence after, so I was very excited for one circuit and then quickly that was extinguished. Hopefully that won’t be the same!
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“Cheltenham is obviously fantastic, but it’s very serious and you feel like it’s your end of year exams, so to speak. Meanwhile I always view Aintree as like the end of year party and it just has a very different atmosphere to it.
“There’s big valuable races of course but I think Liverpool itself just has a buzz about it, so it’s always an exciting meeting to be a part of.
“It’s all exciting to this point, but as we get closer and closer to the race I’ll definitely be pacing!”
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Lavelle will have a few other runners at Aintree over the three days of this week's Festival.
Killer Clown – a winner of two of his four starts this season – is being lined up for a crack the big Aintree fences in this Friday’s Randox Topham Chase. Although stable star Paisley Park won't be returning to Aintree, following his third to Flooring Porter in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at last month's Cheltenham Festival.
She said: “Killer Clown is likely to run in the Topham and the only way he wouldn’t is if they got a lot of rain.
“I definitely hope he’ll enjoy it. Touch wood he’s pretty solid with his jumping and he’s probably better on flatter tracks. He is just a really lovely straightforward horse and I think if he did take to it you’d have to hope he could go and run a big one.
“Paisley Park is going to go to Punchestown, as it’s too sharp a track really and they can always just seem to get away from him. Hang In There will probably run in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle (the opening Orrell Park Handicap Hurdle on Ladies Day) as long as the ground is alright and that will probably be it.”
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