Nicholls taking Kandoo attitude with Grand National team

Paul Nicholls has five darts to fire at the Randox Grand National, as Kandoo Kid leads his team for the world’s most greatest steeplechase.

The grey is the most fancied of the quintet, a nine-year-old with Aintree form as he was third in the Topham at the meeting last year.

This season he returned to action at Newbury to land the Coral Gold Cup, after which he was unplaced when stepping down markedly in trip for the Greatwood Gold Cup at the same track.

“We’ve five nice horses to run and you just hope they can run to their best,” said Nicholls.

“Kandoo Kid won a Coral Gold Cup and he’s the one who you hope has still got a bit of improvement in him off his handicap mark.

“He’s gone well round there before and Coral Gold Cup winners have a good record in the race. Hopefully he will be our leading chance.”

Previous King George winner and Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame is the mount of France-based James Reveley, with Threeunderthrufive to be ridden by Harry Skelton.

“Threeunderthrufive has been placed in a Scottish National and has been running well, and Bravemansgame is a King George winner who has dropped down the weights a fair bit,” Nicholls continued.

“He’s been a great horse and as well as his King George, he’s finished second in a Gold Cup and he’s now dropped from the 170s to 155 and if he likes it, he’s a well-capable horse.

Freddie Gingell will get the leg-up on Hitman, whereas Stay Away Fay is the ride of Paul O’Brien.

Nicholls added: “We have Hitman who is a class horse and Stay Away Fay who is slowly coming back to form, I think.”

Gordon Elliott is another well-represented trainer, with five horses from his yard making the cut including bottom weight Duffle Coat.

Elliott expects Three Card Brag to be his main hope, with greys Fil Dor and Coko Beach joining him alongside Conflated.

“We’re probably going over there hopeful rather than confident, it looks a good race,” said Elliott, who is seeking a fourth National.

“We’ve a couple of each-way chances and if they run well that would be great.

“You would like to think Three Card Brag is the pick of them and he’s unexposed and the race has been the plan all year. It’s also been the plan for Fil Dor and he could outrun his odds.”

Henry de Bromhead will saddle Minella Indo, winner of the 2021 Gold Cup and third in the Grand National last year, with stablemate Senior Chief also due to compete.

“He ran a blinder last year, we were delighted with him. We just hope he can do similar this year,” De Bromhead said of Minella Indo.

“The handicapper has given him a small bit of a chance (dropped 1lb from last year) but he didn’t miss him either. This has been the plan for him this year and we love watching him run, he’s a star.

“Senior Chief won well at Cheltenham in the autumn and then he was probably a bit disappointing at Newbury in the Coral Gold Cup (sixth), he didn’t really jump.

“He seems good again now and we hope he’s back to his best. Darragh O’Keeffe will ride him and Rachael (Blackmore) has chosen to ride Indo, she’s really happy with him.”

Jonjo and AJ O’Neill run Monbeg Genius, with the latter saying of the nine-year-old: “He’s in great form, we could do with a bit of rain, but we’re looking forward to seeing him run.

“Hopefully he can get a clear round and anything better than that we’ll be delighted.”

The Ben Pauling-trained Twig made the field at a late stage and will be ridden by Beau Morgan, the son of his owner Georgia Morgan.

Pauling said: “I would have liked to have seen him run better at Doncaster (seventh in the Grimthorpe), but that was a funny race, they went a million from the word go and he never really got into his rhythm like he can and he kept going and finished seventh.

“It wasn’t a disaster – it was a good opportunity to get a run under his belt and some of his early hurdle runs this season were very good. I was very pleased with those, but he seems in better form now than he has done all season. “