Emid’io Pepe & Faivoir – 1.45 Aintree
Emid’io Pepe runs in the first race, a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle. He is a lovely new French horse who won at Pau on his most recent start. He has loads of experience and we like what we see at home but it is his first dip into English racing so we have to see where we stand. I do like him; he has a good attitude and is probably next year’s chaser.
Faivoir runs in this race too and is used to running in all these big races. Heidi [Palin] gets on well with him and takes weight off which is handy. You can’t just go and say he is going to win this at his age but you know he will run a big race so we are looking forward to getting him back out there.
Doyen Quest – 2.20 Aintree
Doyen Quest runs in the three-mile novice chase. He has some good form this year. I kept him away from Cheltenham to have him super fresh for this. The track will really suit him and these horses who come fresh to this meeting do have an advantage and the possibility to outrun themselves. He fits into that category, and I think he has a great chance.
Sinnatra – 2.55 Aintree
He ran really well at Cheltenham in the County Hurdle. He is a novice so he can drop back into this. I am happy with how he has been since Cheltenham. The more racing he has been doing the better he is becoming so we are very happy to pitch him in here. We know we aren’t at the very top of the novice hurdlers, but he has loads of experience and he’s in great form.
Grey Dawning & L’Eau du Sud – 3.30 Aintree
Grey Dawning and L’Eau du Sud run in the Melling Chase. Grey Dawning drops back in trip. We couldn’t quite win a Gold Cup, but it was a great run. We drop back in trip because I feel we will start in the Betfair next year which is a great track for him and he’s won that race before, but after that I think we will look at a Ryanair for him, which we did with Protektorat. He dropped back and actually won a Ryanair, so we are thinking a similar plan. I think this race will really suit him, and he has come out of Cheltenham well. Look, you never know how much of a mark Cheltenham has left on them. He ran very well that day, but he did put in a very big effort. He looks great though.
L'Eau du Sud steps up in trip and obviously has some very good form over two-miles and it's now time to go up to two-and-half. We haven't quite won a Grade 1 in open company as a two-miler so this trip is the way to go. The flat track will suit and you never know, with the hold-up style over the trip, it might really suit us. He had a hard enough race at Cheltenham but he's in good form.
