Thursday Issue

16th April 2015

Hi %%First Name%%,

We had a nice double on Sunday at Leopardstown with Zafayan (4/1) and Zawraq (6/4) looking future stars in the making for Dermot Weld with ZAWRAQ looking a Derby horse with me and could be the next See The Stars. Second Wave (6/5) was a good four point winner for us at Redcar on Monday taking the mile handicap for Godolphin and looks a smart prospect who should build on this win.

Leighton Aspell goes down in Aintree folklore as Many Clouds gives the jockey his second successive Grand National win. Winning jockey said: "It is wonderful. Many Clouds has given his all and gave me some ride. I asked him some big questions and he has dug really deep. Tried to conserve energy because he had a hard race in the Gold Cup. It is a wonderful training performance by Oliver [Sherwood, trainer] to freshen him up and recharge the batteries. Is all heart and gave me the best ride I have ever had over these fences. He was awesome and I was just hoping the battery life would last."

Winning owner Trevor Hemmings commented: "It was incredible. I always dreamt, as one would, of winning the Grand National and then we won it. Then we won it for a second time and it was something special, but now the third one comes along, I just can't believe it. It is an amazing feeling. le Mare won the Grand National three times with the same horse [Red Rum] and we have done it with three different horses. Morning you were saying that the achievers are quiet, confident and experienced, and Leighton has all of it. The race captured my heart and it is such a wonderful feeling to win it again. All I can say is thank you Oliver Sherwood, Leighton and all the staff, and to Aintree."

Oliver Sherwood said: "I just can't believe, I cannot believe it. I was watching and I thought after the first few fences - he's some spin. All I wanted was the horse to come back in one piece. It was foot-perfect, I don't think that he made a mistake - I can't believe that it's happened, I really cannot believe it. I thought that it was a year too soon (to come here) and Trevor knows that. It was his decision. I said: "the horse is healthy, he's fit, he's well and, if you want to run, we will run". It was his decision to run, end of story. It wasn't my decision, so he must get all the credit, not me. Winner and a National winner - it's sound's good doesn't it? Many Clouds has been unbelievable all season, he hasn't stopped blossoming all season. It's important to him. To this day, I don't know what happened in the Gold Cup - he didn't run his race - and I think you guys could see that. Something wasn't right that day, maybe he got out of bed the wrong side. It happens to us all. I have done nothing with him since the Gold Cup, just literally one school and he hasn't seen a National fence on purpose. I didn't show him any National fence and literally a couple of quiet bits of work is all we have done just to freshen him up. I thought that he had probably just gone over the top prior to the Gold or as a result. What do I know about horses?"

The Irish jockey Davy Condon will require surgery on a neck problem after being hospitalised with spinal concussion following a fall in the Grand National on Saturday.

Just what the doctor ordered on Tuesday, unfortunately it's not on prescription a nice VAT or rather a Vodka N Tonic which I advised and he duly obliged at 13/8, if I had one I would certainly of had a gulp jumping the last as we were upsides, but ultimately we prevailed to bang in another winner.

The Craven Breeze-up sails took place this week at Newmarket with over 125 two-year-olds expected to be sent up the Rowley Mile and it was shown live on RUK for the first time. The impressive Cheltenham RSA Chase winner Don Poli is expected to run at the Punchestown festival in two weeks time in the Growise Champion Novice Chase on the opening day and will be many peoples banker of the meeting.

I Shot The Sheriff (5/1 with Paddy Power) will go very close for us all in the QTS Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr on Saturday. Sam Winner E/W at (14/1) for me in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday.

Yours in sport

Back Next Thursday.

Kevan Minter - The Colonel.

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