Striaght From The Trainers Mouth 6/6/13 Grand National

Straight From The Horses Mouth Grand National

Join Together -  
“Join Together would be one of the leading chances. He has been trained just for the race. He ran really well in the Becher Chase at Aintree. We haven’t run him all winter while the ground has been bad.
“We followed the same route in a lot of ways as we did when training Neptune last year. He has been around the course and he has got a bit of class. We want to give him a big shot.” Paul Nicholls

What A Friend –
“What A Friend is a good horse and he ran well in the Gold Cup that year he won (the Bowl) at Aintree. But when he ran in the National two years ago you can put a line through it. He had had a very hard race in the Gold Cup when he was fourth – probably a career best – and horses that have a hard race there don’t run particularly well at Aintree. And in hindsight it was probably a mistake to run him.
“If we can get him really fresh and he runs nicely he is definitely a player in the race because he has got Grade One form.” Paul Nicholls

Harry The Viking –
“Harry The Viking has been a little out of form because of the bad ground. He was second in the four-miler to Teaforthree at Cheltenham on good ground. He will run and he is a horse I have always felt would be suited by the race.” Paul Nicholls

Chicago Grey –
“The horses are running well and Chicago Grey was unlucky when he was brought down at the fifth last year,” said Elliott.
“He’s had a wind operation and he’s in good form, - he’s working well and I’m looking forward to it.
“If he can get into a rhythm, he’ll jump and he’ll stay.” Gordon Elliott

The Rainbow Hunter –
The Rainbow Hunter is part-owned by Oli Bell, who I know from our work together for Racing UK, and I’m pleased he thought of me when looking for a jockey.
I’ve been through the horse's career and there’s some solid form there and while he’s a big price, hopefully he can stay on and nick some prize-money.
I follow Oli on Twitter and he’s naturally very excited and has said all along that the National was the dream, so this is no afterthought and Kim Bailey is a very shrewd trainer, who of course won the race with Mr Frisk in 1990, so he wouldn’t be running him for the hell of it.” – Aiden Coleman

Roberto Goldback –
“Has always had the National as his main objective and he has been trained for the race. I thought he ran very well to finish fifth in the Racing Plus Chase at Kempton last time. It was decent ground that day and he showed there how much he appreciates it. I’ve been very pleased with his progress since.” NH

Imperial Commander -
“I’m very, very excited about this horse for the National, just look at his mark compared to where it was when he won the Gold Cup at beat Denman. I think that in hindsight it might have been a good thing that he missed this year’s Gold Cup. When he was second to Cape Tribulation at Cheltenham in January he’d been off since the 2011 Gold Cup and wasn’t fully fit. He jumps, stays and is very good on decent ground – don’t ever forget how he stayed on to win the Gold Cup so I have no concerns about the National trip. In fact, I’m more than excited.” NTD
Major Malarkey –
“Looks like he’ll get a run in the National and I expect a very good showing. The better ground is going to be right up his street and there will be worse 100-1 shots. He was fifth in the Whitbread and second in the Midlands National. Will be fresh.” NTD
Across The Bay –
“Runs in the National and it was in my mind to run him in the National Trial at Haydock but he’d have had top weight on bad ground so I ran him in the Grade 2 hurdle at Haydock over three miles and he won. He’s a horse that likes Aintree and over an extreme trip like the National he won’t be worried by better ground. He does stay forever and he has had his wind done since he disappointed in the Welsh National. He’s very well.” DM
Ballabriggs –
“He’s been aimed for the National all season and this will be the first time that he will have had his ground. He’s been trained for one day and ran a very solid race a year ago. I’m very happy with the way he is at the moment.” DM
Weird Al –
“Was travelling ok when he was hampered second time at Becher’s a year ago and although he’s been pulled up his last two runs is largely down to him and how he is. When you go back to his run at Haydock in November when he was seven lengths behind Silviniaco Conti, it doesn’t looks too bad now. Although he never really travelled, he was staying on like a train at the finish. Likes decent ground and is a high-class horse on his day. He can hit a couple of flat spots but Timmy Murphy gets on with him well and if the horse turns up then he’ll be in it. Wouldn’t be a surprise if he finished in the frame.”  DM

Chicago Grey & Tarquinius
Chicago Grey was unlucky here last year, when he was brought down at the fifth fence and he never really had a chance to show us what he could do. He was rated 150 going into the race this time last year, and he's in here off a 9lb lower mark this year of 141, and I think he's in even better form this time around. The weights for this race had been framed before he won at Navan, so he looks well in as he's due to go up 8lbs for that win.
He had a breathing operation before that Grade Two victory and that looks to have worked the oracle with him, and we have left the tongue tie and the cheeckpieces on him, which should hopefully assist the horse further during the race. You can take nothing for granted around here, and you need a lot of luck in running to be competitive but he couldn't be in any better form, and if Paul Carberry can hunt him around on the first circuit and then sneak him into the race he'd have a good each way chance.
Tarquinius has earned his place in the race this year, and he has been an ultra-consistent stayer all season long, displaying the qualities needed to run here. His head second to Jadanli in the Thyestes at Gowran Park in January was a magnificent effort, and marked him out as an ideal type for this race with the emphasis on stamina being so important. He's sneaks in at the bottom of the weights, and is set to carry 10st 2lbs which is always a help over this marathon distance of 4m4f.
He runs in the colours of his new owner Richard Gilbert today, having been sold quite recently by his previous owners so hopefully he can run well. The ground has been drying all week at Aintree, which would be a worry as he prefers a softer surface. But in saying that it is lovely jumping ground and hopefully it will not inconvenience him too much. Wilson Renwick is booked to take the ride, and if he can navigate his way around on the first circuit, I'd like to think he'll be staying on as strongly as anything else come the finish and you just never know with this race.