HORSE RACING: King hopes handicapper is kind for Grand National
7:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Latest Sport News
ALAN King is eagerly awaiting the release of the John Smith's Grand National weights on February 14.
The Barbury Castle handler has two live candidates in West End Rocker and Hold On Julio.
Both won their last starts impressively, with West End Rocker cruising to victory over the National fences in the Becher Chase, for which he was raised 12lb.
Hold On Julio, a former point-to-pointer, laughed at his rivals in a Sandown handicap, coming home nine lengths clear of Neptune Collonges, earning an 11lb hike.
He was supposed to run in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster last week but was an 11th hour absentee.
“Julio coughed after scoping bad last week, causing us to pull him out of the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster, but we decided that he warranted an entry alongside Rocker,” King said.
“The weights are due to be announced on February 14, so we’ll see how kind the handicapper has been before making plans.”
Meanwhie Alan King’s stable jockey Robert Thornton has pinpointed February 14 as he date for a return to the saddle.
Thornton broke his upper right arm in a fall from Western Whisky at Hereford on December 11 and needed surgery to repair the injury.
Thornton visited consultant Richard Keys at the Manor Hospital in Oxford who gave him the green light to return.
“The consultant said I can return on February 14,” said Thornton.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back (the way Alan King`s horses are running).
“Dr (Michael) Turner (chief medical officer of BHA) still has to agree but I can’t see any reason why he’d say no.”
- CONNECTIONS of Binocular will have to go back to the drawing board after the abandonment of today’s card at Sandown.
The 2010 Champion Hurdle winner had been set to take in the Contenders Hurdle as part of his preparation for next month's Cheltenham Festival, a Listed prize he has secured for the past two seasons.
But with the fixture beaten by the cold snap, Nicky Henderson will have to find his classy hurdler an alternative prep race in the next week or two.
The Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran Park in Ireland, the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton and the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso are all potential destinations.
“As it stands at the moment, I don’t know where he’ll run,” said owner JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.
“We’re going to have to wait and see what happens with the weather. We have a few options, but we can’t say for definite which way he’s going yet.
“The weather is going to be important, so we'll see which way it goes.”
A total of 91 entries have been received for the William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the opening race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.
Lambourn’s Nicky Henderson, without a win in the race since Flown’s success in 1992, has more entries than anyone this year with 12 engaged.
