? Cheltenham effort would mean 15lb rise if weights redrawn
? Bold Silvano has ben pulled out of Dubai World Cup
What A Friend will have more than a stone in hand if he lines up for the Grand National next month, it has emerged. Phil Smith, Britain's senior handicapper, has reassessed the horse, owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, in light of his running-on fourth in Friday's Gold Cup and now believes he is set to carry much less weight than his ability deserves.
"It will be a huge temptation for them to run him now," said Smith, who is required to compile the weights for the Aintree race in early February and cannot revise them in light of subsequent performances. "I've raised him to a mark of 171 but he can run off 156 in the National."
That means What A Friend will carry 15lb less, relative to the other runners, than if Smith could redraw the weights today, a fact that will surely impress punters. The gelding is already being backed in response to the words of his trainer, Paul Nicholls, who said he was "highly likely" to run in the National if the ground was good.
Yesterday, Nicholls added that Daryl Jacob would keep the ride in the National, having rallied What A Friend to finish just a nose behind Kauto Star on Friday. Paddy Power cut the horse's Grand National odds from 25-1 to 16-1, which is now the best available.
Smith's new mark for the Gold Cup winner, Long Run, is 182, 3lb higher than the horse's previous rating. That matches the figure earned by Denman in winning the 2008 Gold Cup but is lower than the two subsequent winners, Kauto Star (186) and Imperial Commander (185) in a vintage era for the race.
"I don't see any reason why Long Run shouldn't still be improving at the age of six," Smith said. "I'm not totally sure where the opposition's coming from next year, because clearly Denman and Kauto Star can't be progressing."
Connections are reportedly rethinking the idea of sending Long Run to race in France this spring and are more likely to consider the totesport Bowl at Aintree on 7 April. There, he may clash once more with Denman and the Gold Cup fifth, Midnight Chase, for whom an attempt on the National has been postponed until next year.
The season is definitely over for the Gold Cup seventh, Pandorama. "He's sore enough at the minute," said Noel Meade, his trainer. "We'll just have to monitor him for the next fortnight and see."
Also lame is Bold Silvano, who had been 5-1 second-favourite for Saturday's Dubai World Cup but will now miss the race. Twice Over was shortened to 9-4 for the race at Meydan.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/21/what-a-friend-stone-grand-national
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