Ladbrokes Trophy winner Cloth Cap is set to have one more run before a potential crack at the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 10.
Trainer Jonjo O’Neill is targeting the world’s greatest steeplechase for the nine-year-old, who is currently a best-priced 25-1 chance with William Hill, Unibet and Betway for the Aintree marathon.
Owned by triple Grand National-winning owner Trevor Hemmings – who has a great love of the Aintree showpiece – Cloth Cap advertised his claims for the big race with an impressive front-running victory in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury at the end of November.
That was a first win in almost two years for Cloth Cap, but convinced O’Neill that the Grand National would be the ideal target.
The Jackdaws Castle handler said: “The plan remains to go for the Grand National and hopefully we can get a race into him before then.
“He has been put up 11lb, but he won well in the Ladbrokes Trophy and jumped great. He only had 10st that day and everything was right for him.
“Trevor (Hemmings, owner) is keen to go for the National as it was the plan last year, but it obviously didn’t happen.”
O’Neill is confident about Cloth Cap’s stamina for the 4m2 1/2f contest at the famous Liverpool track as he finished third in the 2019 Scottish National. And he is hoping that the ground on Merseyside is good enough for Cloth Cap to shine.
O’Neill, who won the Grand National with the Tony McCoy-ridden Don’t Push It 11 years ago, said: “He is a National horse as we know he stays and he jumps well normally, so those boxes are ticked.
“I wouldn’t be worried about him not staying, but the ground is very important to him.
“The only problem with the Grand National is that he might not get the ground as quick as it was in the Ladbrokes Trophy.”
