M
artin Brassil is not one to seek the
limelight but the Co Kildare trainer can
saddle a second winner of the Randox
Grand National (5.15) through Longhouse
Poet at Aintree today.
Brassil has a small stable but when he gets a good
horse he makes the most of it and Longhouse Poet can
give him another big-race success.
Now in his 26th season with a licence, Brassil has
saddled only 16 runners in Britain, but they have
included successes in the 2006 Grand National with
Numbersixvalverde and a grade one win at the 2019
Cheltenham Festival with City Island. He also saddled
Double Seven to finish third in the 2014 National.
Long-time followers of Grand National statistics will
not countenance Longhouse Poet. He is an
inexperienced eight-year-old who is set to carry more
than 11st. He has also had only six starts over fences —
ten is generally considered the minimum amount of
experience for a National winner.
Then again, before Minella Times won last year it
was meant to be a must for National winners to have
run well over further than three miles. He had been
beaten on both previous tries at three miles and had
never raced over further.
Before that, it was thought that the winner wouldClassy Longhouse
Poet can defy all
the expectations
come from those carrying less than 11st. Six of the past
12 winners have carried 11st or more. Eight-year-olds
struggled for a long time, with only three winners from
that age group in 40 years from 1974. They have now
won four of the past six renewals. The trouble with
following trends is that they evolve, and younger
runners are certainly holding sway at the moment.
Longhouse Poet has plenty in his favour. He showed
some class when beating the brilliant Monkfish on his
debut in a bumper in 2019 and twice made the frame at
the highest level over hurdles.
An easy winner on his only try in a point-to-point,
he was always likely to improve when he switched to
fences and he has been brought along steadily by his
shrewd handler. After running over shorter trips on his
first three starts over fences, Longhouse Poet opened
his account in this sphere when stepped up to three
miles at Punchestown, beating subsequent Irish
National second Run Wild Fred.
Longhouse Poet then followed in the hoofprints of
Numbersixvalverde by landing the competitive
Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park in January. It was the
first time that Brassil had saddled a runner in that race
since Numbersixvalverde’s triumph, which shows the
regard in which this year’s National contender is held.
The comparisons do not stop there, as he has since
been given a spin over a shorter trip over hurdles, just
as Numbersixvalverde did before his National win.
Longhouse Poet boasts some classy form and is open
to plenty of improvement now that he tries a marathon
trip for the first time. He rates good value at the 16-1
offered by Ladbrokes.The inexperienced eight-year-old
trained by Martin Brassil should
not be written off, says Rob Wright
Saturday April 9 2022
the times6 GRAND NATIONAL
2022GRAND
NATIONAL:
THE SILKS,
STATS AND
FORM
1 Minella Times
Jockey R achael Blackmore Odds 10-1
Runs 21 Wins 4 (3S , G S ) Places 6
Prize money £487,1 58
A memorable winner las t year but he has
fa ile d to finis h in two s ta rts this te rm2 Delta Work
Jockey J W Kennedy Odds 10-1
Runs 27 Wins 10 (4S,4G) Places 7
Prize money £ 6 05 , 8 02
T op- cla s s pe rforme r in the pa s t; re turne d
to form when winning at C heltenham3 School Boy Hours
Jockey S W Flanagan Odds 20-1
Runs 17 Wins 2 (S ) Places 7
Prize money £1 26,757
Travelled well until a mis take four out at
C heltenham; dangerous to dis count4 Any Second Now
Jockey M P Walsh Odds 10-1
Runs 28 Wins 6 (4S , G S ) Places 7
Prize money £ 2 65, 2 65
U nlucky when third to Minella Times a
year ago. S till nexposed5 Run Wild Fred
Jockey D N Russell Odds 16-1
Runs 20 Wins 5 (3S ,2G ) Places 8
Prize money £231 ,761
Irish G rand National second last year and
ran well at C heltenham las t month6 Lostintranslation
Jockey H C obden Odds 66- 1
Runs 25 Wins 6 (3S,2GS,G)Places 7
Prize money £424,01 4
T hird in the C he lte nha m G old C up two
ye a rs a go but s e e ms to be out of form7 Brahma Bull
Jockey B Hayes Odds 80- 1
Runs 23 Wins 8 (2S , 3 G ) Places 3
Prize money £1 65,71 1
A s taying- on third in the Ladbrokes Trophy
at Newbury in November offers hope8 Burrows Saint
Jockey P Townend Odds 25-1
Runs 24 Wins 5 (S ,G ) Places 9
Prize money £398,276
A ppe a re d not to s e e out the trip whe n
fourth here last year. Place claims9 Mount Ida
Jockey D O'Regan Odds 33-1
Runs 16 Wins 7 (2S ,G S ) Places 4
Prize money £117,497
P romises to be suited by a marathon trip
but te nde nc y to jump right is a c onc e rn10 Longhouse Poet
Jockey D J O ' K e e ffe Odds 14-1
Runs 14 Wins 5 (3S ,G ) Places 4
Prize money £ 99, 465
Won the Thyestes C hase at G owran Park
in J anuary. This trip is likely to s uit11 Fiddlerontheroof
Jockey B J P owell Odds 16-1
Runs 20 Wins 5 (4S ,G S ) Places 8
Prize money £ 2 08 , 2 01
Just came up short in grade one races
last season but should stay well12 Two For Gold
Jockey D Bass Odds 50-1
Runs 20 Wins 10 (6S,3GS,G)Places 4
Prize money £21 9,721
S econd in grade one company at Ascot
but this longe r trip might s tre tc h him