Ok Corral set to shoulder Henderson’s hopes of elusive National victory
Champion trainer has yet to land Aintree showpiece.
Nicky Henderson could rely on Ok Corral in his bid to finally end his long wait for a first victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week. The Seven Barrows handler has been champion trainer on multiple occasions and has won just about every prize the National Hunt game has to offer – apart from the world’s most famous steeplechase. Henderson has not yet managed to better the second place of Zongalero, who was his first first runner in 1979, but it has not been for the want of trying. Speaking on a Zoom call to promote the Randox Grand National Festival on Thursday, he said: “We’ve had a lot of chances.“In our first ever year Zongalero was second. I wouldn’t say I thought it was going to be easy. I was numb, to be honest with you, by the end of it. “As you start to get further and further round and know you’re in the hunt, it gets very exciting. We’ve had lots of times we’ve got to Becher’s second time and we’re thinking ‘this is going well’, and then crash, bang, wallop! “We’ve had lots of horses placed, but then I think we had six consecutive fallers at the first! It’s just been one of those races.” While insisting there are no thoughts of retirement in his mind, the 70-year-old admits he will not have many more chances to break his National hoodoo.
A wonderful finish to the @DoncasterRaces feature! Ok Corral battles gamely to fend off Fingerontheswitch to plunder the big prize for @sevenbarrows under Derek O’Connor… pic.twitter.com/QxzB2EayWe
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) January 25, 2020
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