Britain’s senior handicapper has come out against changes proposed to the Grand National’s entry system in the wake of the revelation that Pineau De Re, a previous winner of the Aintree race, will be shut out of Saturday’s renewal. The 13-year-old, who is likely to be retired before next year’s race, is not rated high enough to make the top 40 runners this year, leading to two days of heated discussion among racing fans and on social media as to whether the qualification process should be overhauled.
But some of the most popular suggestions were waved away on Tuesday by Phil Smith, who, as the British Horseracing Authority’s top handicapper, has the job of setting the weights for the Grand National. “The things I’ve heard so far have just been gimmicks,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be in favour of previous winners being given automatic entry,” Smith continued. “You might have a situation where Horse 39 was on 10st 4lb and some previous winner was on 10st, maybe 5lb out of the handicap, getting a run instead of some other horse on 10st 3lb.”
Smith added he was against the idea of ‘win-and-you’re-in’ (WAYI) races, preferring to insist the 40 highest-rated horses should make up the final field. He pointed out the Becher Chase over the National fences, a likely WAYI contest if such a rule was created, was won this season by Highland Lodge, who is also likely to miss the cut on Saturday.
Nor does he favour a separate handicapping system for long-distance steeplechases, noting it might lead to the anomaly of a classy two-and-a-half-miler getting a low weight because of his inexperience of marathons and then perhaps winning easily. “But we will have a discussion about all these things after the National and over the next six weeks or so and perhaps I’ll be outvoted,” Smith said. He added that he hoped to effect one change to Grand National qualification but declined to say what until it had the approval of owners and trainers.
The discussion among officials may be as heated as it has been on social media, since John Baker, who manages Aintree for the Jockey Club, said he was in favour of WAYI races, suggesting the Becher may be one and also the Grand National Trial at Haydock, another Jockey Club track in his portfolio. Baker added he would favour offering an optional penalty to connections of horses who win after the National weights are set in mid-February, which might make the difference between getting a run and missing the cut.
Bishops Road, winner of this year’s National Trial, needs one more withdrawal in order to make Saturday’s race but that is begining to seem unlikely, Enda Bolger having indicated on Tuesday that his Gilgamboa is now likely to line up in the National rather than an alternative race during the week. No jockeys have yet been booked for him or the other JP McManus-owned entrants but riding plans are solidifying elsewhere.
Daryl Jacob has been booked for Ucello Conti, replacing Jacques Ricou, whose “widest-of-all” tactics on the horse have excited much comment and some mirth. Tom Scudamore has picked Ballynagour from David Pipe’s three runners. Soll will be ridden by Conor O’Farrell and Vieux Lion Rouge by James Reveley.
Rebecca Curtis has booked Brian Hughes for the plum ride on O’Faolains Boy, having been unable to secure the services of Paul Townend, who will presumably ride for Willie Mullins in the race. Trevor Whelan will ride The Romford Pele for Curtis.
Since Alvarado is likely to miss the cut, Buywise could be reunited with his regular rider Paul Moloney, who has the remarkable record of having been placed in the last seven Nationals. However, Buywise could hardly be fancied to extend that sequence in the view of his trainer, Evan Williams, who has become frustrated by the horse’s inability to convert undoubted talent into big-race wins.
“I’ve had horses run in the Grand National where I’ve known all along that that’s what they should be doing,” Williams said. “I can’t pretend that’s how it is with Buywise.
“Will he stay? I don’t know. Will he jump those fences? I don’t know. Perhaps I should be down at the first, ready to catch whoever’s riding him.
“But if someone can tell me what’s the right thing to do with Buywise, I’m all ears. I don’t know if it’s a good decision or a bad decision but we’re running in the Grand National and that’s the end of it.”
