Our racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght delivers his weekly hot takes from around the racing world.
MY DROGO BACK ON TRACK
Let’s wind back four years to the 2021 staging of Aintree’s Grade One Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, and the runaway victory of My Drogo. It could hardly have been more striking, and was greeted with all sorts of excited hyperbole, accompanied by predictions of even greater things in the future.
However, coming as it did, only a couple of hours before perhaps the most significant moment in modern Grand National history when Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win, on Minella Times, the Dan Skelton-trained six-year-old inevitably did not receive all of the coverage that he probably deserved.
Since then it’s not all been plain sailing for My Drogo, and has included a whopping, twenty-two month injury absence, but, re-invented as a point-to-pointer and hunter chaser, though still owned by Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes, he’s been enjoying life in a slower lane.
Guided by trainer Ed Walker – the Devon-based one, hence Edward William Walker on the racecard – and ridden by Will Biddick, there have been two wins, the second in a well-contested Walrus Hunters’ Chase at Haydock. A return to the scene of the horse’s greatest triumph is now on the cards, this time for the Foxhunters’, with encouragement being given by Biddick and by the trainer’s wife, Polly Gundry, both of whom should know what they’re talking about having previously ridden to success in the race over about two-thirds of the Grand National course. An intriguing contender.
FROST AND FAY COULD MAKE HEADLINES
Stay Away Fay is 66/1 for the Grand National for a reason, because although a Cheltenham Festival hurdles winner, and successful at Grade Two level over fences, the ten-year-old’s form figures since then read a not especially inspiring 3–P–P–P–0.
However there is more interest than might be expected in his participation, partly reflecting curiosity in the fact that Paul Nicholls is continuing with what looks like an increasingly uphill struggle, but even more as a result of who is likely to be on board: Bryony Frost.
Within racing Frost is best known for her association with Frodon and other prolific runners, plus, of course, for the well-documented fall-out with colleague Robbie Dunne. Outside the bubble, however, it is different, and the famously colourful personality makes her pure ‘box office’, and, consequently, her presence in the line-up will mean that plenty who wouldn’t otherwise have engaged will be doing so, something which is more important than ever these days.
TALKING HORSES
The William Haggas operation was not the force it is today when winning Saturday’s Lincoln Handicap for the first time with High Low in 1992, but it’s a race that has been good to the trainer who’s added three more successes since, notably with Addeybb (2018) which, considering later international exploits, was some good thing at 5/1.
With Haggas’ record and favourable ground conditions, the stable’s runner Godwinson, aged five and owned by his breeders Jon and Julia Aisbitt, is understandably part of many calculations, even though perceived wisdom seems to revolve around some talented four-year-olds in the field.
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