Saturday 10 April 2010

National Update


Roger Loughran will take the plum spare ride on Vic Venturi in the John Smith's Grand National after Paddy Flood suffered a broken collarbone.

Flood's mount Schindlers Hunt fell at the third fence in the Melling Chase on Friday, fracturing his near foreleg and having to be put down.

Vic Venturi's trainer Dessie Hughes said: "We had a couple of options to consider but we're going with Roger Loughran."

Clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch plans to water the ground after two drying days.

"I'll be watering the Mildmay and hurdle courses and we will water the 13th and 14th fences after the Melling Road crossing on the Grand National course," he said.

"We're racing on a fresh strip of ground anyway, so this is really just to maintain conditions."