Top Irish jockey Ruby Walsh has accepted the ride of Hanakham for next Saturday's Martell Grand National at Aintree. Walsh was hoping to repeat last year's winning performance aboard Papillon, trained by his father Ted, but with the participation of Irish horses in the world-famous race in serious doubt due to the on-going foot and mouth crisis, he has decided to accept the offer to ride the 12-year-old, made by Hanakham's trainer Ginger McCain.
"The horse is fit and very, very well - he's in first-class shape," revealed McCain. "He has definitely come on from his last run at Haydock. We have stepped him up a lot in his work since then and he has taken it very well. He is a class horse. If he had not had so many training problems he would have been a Gold Cup horse. As it is he has only run something like 12 races so he has not got many miles on the clock. He is a big price but I'm sure he will shorten up when people find out Ruby is riding," he added.
It has also been confirmed that Warren Marston has accepted the ride of Amberleigh House, McCain's other Grand National hope. "He has jumped round all the big courses in Ireland so I'm sure he will handle the fences at Aintree," said McCain of Marston. "Both my horses have been trained with Liverpool in mind. That has been the target for them since the start and I could not be happier with them," added the former Aintree winner. (PA)
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
