Oh, Lord. To Windermere or not to Windermere, that is the question. Is it nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous critics and tip him again for the Grand National, or to take another horse this time and, by opposing, ensure he wins?
I spoke to trainer Jim Culloty on Friday morning and the news is that Lord Windermere is coming over for the Grand National a week on Saturday. I napped him last year and was gutted to see him boil over in the preliminaries but he still ran a decent race, working his way into contention before finishing a tired seventh.
He’s only had one run since, when he fell in the Becher Chase in December, so it would be easy to put a line through him. Why would he do any better this time? But the bad news for those of us who like and admire the horse is there really does seem to be a reason why. As John Cleese said, it’s not the despair that gets you, it’s the hope …
“He boils over progressively more as the season goes on,” Culloty told me. “Over the years, the further we’ve got into the season, the worse he does it. So I’m trying to bring him there fresh, as if it was his first run of the season. He always runs well first time out.
“He’s in good form. I think he’s fit. I’m very, very happy with him.”
The form book shows that Lord Windermere ran in a first-time tongue tie in last year’s National but in fact he did not, despite determined efforts at fitting it. “He wore it in his work for about a month before but on the day he rejected it completely,” Culloty says. It was presumably part of the reason the horse got so worked up.”
Culloty isn’t worried about the horse’s fall in December, in a race on bad ground which was not easy for Lord Windermere to jump out of. He felt the horse was travelling well at the time. Better ground next week would suit.
Yes, Lord Windermere is 12 but he has fewer miles on the clock than most horses his age and the big temptation is as it was last year, that he’s a Gold Cup winner on an ordinary mark. He’s dropped another 3lb since that day to 144, a stone and a half below his peak rating.
Minella Rocco (one from 13 over fences) will have to give him 18lb. But punters evidently have a lot more faith in Minella Rocco, who’s 16-1 compared to the 66-1 you can have about the good Lord. I know which of those bets I’d rather make.
Jockey-wise, Culloty is playing his cards close to his chest, saying he has “two or three” options. They do not include the men who have ridden Lord Windermere over these fences before, as Brian Hughes is booked for Seeyouatmidnight, Leighton Aspell is injured and Brian O’Connell has just retired.
Over to Fontwell on Friday, where at last we have some jump racing. Morney Wing is a most unattractive favourite for the staying handicap chase, having been fortunate to win last time, being a remote third until the two leaders fell at the last.
Wizards Bridge (2.35) will do for me at 100-30. He was, admittedly, well ridden by Harry Codben to beat a subsequent winner at Chepstow but I dare say Cobden will ride him well again.
The 16-1 shot Kings Lad (4.15) is worth another look, with James Bowen up. He ran well for a long way in a much better race at Taunton in January, his comeback from a long absence, and has been given enough time to alleviate worries of the bounce. It’s years since he won but his rating has dropped 16lb for just two outings.
At Lingfield, I like the 5-1 about Six Strings (4.30), who has switched stables since last year. He ran well without winning in turf handicaps last year but reappears in a winnable all-weather race, having won his maiden at Newcastle as a juvenile.
By Chris Cook
Fontwell: 2.05 Thundering Home 2.35 Wizards Bridge 3.10 Larry 3.40 Clondaw Westie 4.15 Kings Lad (nb) 4.50 Burgess Dream 5.20 Helioblu Bareliere
Lingfield: 2.20 Mister Musicmaster 2.50 Spring Romance 3.25 Yes Daddy 3.55 Suwaan 4.30 Six Strings (nap) 5.05 Evening Starlight 5.35 Sarvi
Chelmsford: 6.10 Miniature Daffodil 6.40 Rustang 7.10 Maratha 7.45 Candesta 8.15 Irish Minister 8.45 Jack Nevison 9.15 Geetanjali
