Flat racing’s top events for 2025 are mostly in the rear-view mirror and the switch of focus to the jumps is underlined on Saturday when action resumes over Aintree’s famed Grand National fences.
The world-renowned obstacles will be used for the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase in what will be just over a circuit of the National course.
A total of 21 entries remain after Monday’s latest acceptance stage, topped by last year’s winner King Turgeon who will bid to become the first horse to win the race twice.
Despite Irish dominance in the National over recent years – including Nick Rockett’s memorable victory in April – no Irish-based horse has landed the Sefton since it returned in its present guise 22 years ago.
RM Block
A trio of Irish hopefuls could make the line-up this time with bookmakers reckoning that Gordon Elliott’s Riann could prove the best chance. A winner at Sligo on his last start, the Philip Reynolds-owned hope is a general 16/1 in ante-post lists.
John McConnell’s veteran Seddon and the former high-class hurdler Dreal Deal has also been left in the mix.
Other cross-channel Irish interest this weekend may come at Wincanton where Henry de Bromhead’s Cobra Queen is a potential starter in the valuable Badger Ales Handicap Chase. The mare has won her last two starts, at Roscommon and Tramore.
British racing’s struggle with use of the whip is a cross-code issue as proven on Monday when both Oisin Murphy and Sean Levey both picked up substantial bans under totting up procedures.
Murphy, crowned champion flat jockey for a fifth time last month, has been handed a 15-day ban by the British Horseracing Authority, although five of those days have been suspended for six months or the completion of 200 rides. He has also been told to attend specialist training.
Murphy’s fellow Irishman, Levey, was given 26 days, eight of them suspended, also for multiple breaches of the whip rules.
Murphy’s ban was triggered when riding Gladius at Newmarket last month when he used the whip seven times, one over the limit in a flat race. He was referred to the BHA for multiple breaches over a six-month period.
On the day, he told the Newmarket stewards he had “miscounted.” That was described as a “very hollow and unattractive explanation” in the whip panel’s conclusions.
Levey recently served a suspension for the same offence and was warned he could face a longer punishment if further breaches occur.
The whip panel statement said: “As a very experienced and skilful jockey, he must realise that there will come a time when a judicial panel may well be driven to conclude that he either cannot or will not control his use of the whip in accordance with the rules and that only a long suspension, to be served in its entirety, can serve as an adequate punishment. He would be well advised to heed this warning.”
Under a ‘fast-track’ process, Murphy and the BHA agreed on a 15-day ban, which is below the entry-point level penalty of 28 days.
A Breeders’ Cup weekend that saw Ethical Diamond score a memorable Turf success for Willie Mullins, and other victories for both Aidan and Donnacha O’Brien, unfortunately also contained a low point for Irish interests after Jack Davison’s sprinter She’s Quality had to be put down.
The filly was pulled up soon after the start in the Turf Sprint and initially appeared to be doing well afterwards.
However, Davison reported: “After the race, she was transported to San Luis Rey Equine Hospital where she received the best possible care and appeared to be stable in the initial hours after.
“However, her condition declined overnight, and the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanise her. We are utterly devastated at her passing. She was a high-class filly and she took us all on an amazing journey.”
