Two Nationals already – but Russell is eager for more

Nick Robson
February 20, 2024 3:19 pm

Corach Rambler firmly on course to repeat Aintree heroics after Cheltenham.

Lucinda Russell expressed her satisfaction after her reigning Grand National hero Corach Rambler was allotted 11st 2lb for the defence of his title at Aintree in April.

The 10-year-old provided his Scottish trainer with her second success in the great race last season when triumphing by two and a quarter lengths under Derek Fox, adding his name to the roll of honour alongside 2017 winner One For Arthur.

He carried a burden of 10st 5lb on that occasion when running off 146, but inevitably the victory has triggered a rise in his rating and he now carries a mark of 159.

Russell had expected the hike as the horse is also a contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and will turn his attentions to Aintree after his visit to the Cotswolds in March.

ONE FOR SCOTLAND… AGAIN! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
CORACH RAMBLER wins the Randox Grand National for Derek Fox and Lucinda Russell six years after One For Arthur!#RandoxGrandNational pic.twitter.com/B3fZFBd2o0

— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 15, 2023

“It’s more than he carried last year, but I was hoping he’d get around 11st, so 11st 2lb is ideal. I just really hope Shark (Hanlon) runs Hewick (top-weight),” she said.

“His prep is going fine, at the moment he looks super.

“It seems a bit of an odd thing to run him in the Gold Cup and we have entered him in the Ultima (at Cheltenham) too, but he’d be carrying a lot of weight in that.

“He’s a stayer, he loves it round Cheltenham and we’ll take our chance.

“Winning the National is incredibly addictive. When you win it the first time it’s fabulous, when you win it the second time you want three and you think ‘we can do it again!’. It’s obsessive!”

Lucinda Russell with Corach Rambler (Steve Welsh/PA)

Corach Rambler is ridden at home by Russell’s partner and assistant trainer, the eight-time champion jump jockey Peter Scudamore.

He said of the horse, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Betfair Chase: “We’re very, very happy with him. We just take it each day at a time. He seems to be enjoying his work – I thought he ran a good race at Haydock.

“He clearly enjoys Aintree. He seems to come together this time of year, too.”

Corach Rambler won the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last March before going on to win the National the following month and Scudamore is confident that his chances of repeating last year’s Aintree feat will not be hindered by his Gold Cup exertions.

He said: “I remember Rough Quest did it (ran in both). Miinnehoma did it. The Gold Cup is a furlong further than the Ultima so I don’t see it being an issue.

“The timing is right. I don’t think if he runs in the Gold Cup that he’d be having a harder race than he did in the Ultima (last year). We had a pattern to work from last year and we’ve tried to stick to it. I think sometimes it’s easier to run well in a conditions race than it is in a top handicap off a high weight.”