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Blaklion’s Aintree chances unharmed by defeat, says Nigel Twiston-Davies
A combative Nigel Twiston-Davies has attempted to shoot down concerns that Blaklion may have left his Grand National chance in the Haydock mud on Saturday.
The horse appeared exhausted as he clambered over the final fence and tottered his way to a 54-length defeat by Yala Enki but the trainer insisted there was no ground for concern that his Aintree chance might be compromised.
Asked at a pre-Cheltenham Festival media event at his stables in Naunton whether the Haydock race could leave a mark on Blaklion, Twiston-Davies said: “No, no, of course it won’t. It’s seven weeks. You get some of the cleverclogs, I see even some other trainers, going: ‘Oh, it’s bound to leave its mark.’ Why? A horse is beaten, they often get beaten. It doesn’t ruin it for next time.”
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Blaklion will go straight to the National on 14 April, rather than taking in the Cheltenham Gold Cup which, the trainer conceded, “would be asking a big question after that”. But he would by no means admit the Haydock race had taken any kind of toll, even though it cost Blaklion his position as thee favourite in the Grand National betting market.
“Blaklion’s fine,” said Twiston-Davies, watching 20 of his horses going up his famously stiff gallop. “Isn’t he here? He’s meant to be here. I meant to have him out today. No, he’s in good form. Just the ground was too … I thought he’d manage it but it was obviously so bad. He’s come back and he’s fine.”
Having seemed to have two Gold Cup possibles early in the season, Twiston-Davies will go unrepresented in the Festival’s biggest race, as Bristol De Mai will now take in a Kelso prep-run en route to the Aintree Bowl.
He appeared downbeat about his chance of a Cheltenham success and, when asked to name his best chance of a Festival winner, cheerily replied: “Lay ’em all.”
He added: “We didn’t have a winner last year and I was very confident, going into it. So I’m delighted I’m not that confident, as it usually goes better that way. We’re a strong team but it’s difficult to think you’re going to win any handicap. And apart from The New One and Wholestone and Ballyoptic … we haven’t got any standout novices, for example.
“We’ve had a heck of a season anyway. If we never had another winner this season, we’ve still got £1.4m in prize money.”
He eventually named The New One, a 12-1 shot for the Stayers Hurdle, as his best chance of Festival week but added he was “not confident at all” of the horse having enough stamina for three miles.
