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Tidal Bay on Target for Grand National Bid |
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He might be 13-years-old, but the
remarkable veteran stayer, Tidal Bay, looks to have a potentially serious
chance of winning the worlds greatest steeplechase,
the Crabbies Grand
National at Aintree in April, after running a blinder last time out when a
close third under top-weight in a stirring renewal of the Coral Welsh National
at Chepstows Christmas meeting.
Ruled out of running at Aintree
last term by a niggling leg injury having arguably run the race of his
life to win the Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown in stunning last-to-first
fashion the son of Flemensfirth scored on his return to the fray in a
Grade 2 staying hurdle at Wetherby in early-November before running a rare
below-par race when only fifth behind Cue Card in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at
Haydock three weeks later.
Trainer Paul Nicholls decided to run his
veteran in a handicap for the first time since finishing a brave second under
top weight in the 2012 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, a race won by subsequent
Cheltenham
Gold Cup hero Bobs Worth. In deep bog-like conditions at Chepstow old Tidal
Bay stayed on well having been held up a long way off the pace in the muddy
ground, eventually failing by just three-quarters-of-a-length to peg back
Mountainous, who was receiving a massive 26lbs.
That effort showed that
the Andrea and Graham Wylie-owned gelding who famously failed narrowly
to beat the top-class Imperial Commander in the 2010 Betfair Chase - still has
his heart in the right place. He stays really well, rarely makes the jumping
errors that once clouded his career, and might just be good enough (despite the
near certainty of top weight), to make all the younger horses look to their
laurels at Aintree. Almost favourite in Betfairs
ante-post market for the
showcase marathon event at odds of 24 Tidal Bay appeals as a decent bet and
will be the class act of the contest. |
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