Rocky Creek: an impressive winner at Kempton last time

PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos), BY JAMES BURN3:00PM 24 MAR 2015 

CHAMPION trainer-elect Paul Nicholls will likely bid to end the season with a bang by running six horses in the £1 million Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree next month.

Nicholls, who won the world’s best-known jumps race with Neptune Collonges in 2012, has 12-1 Rocky Creek leading his strong squad, followed by Unioniste, who can be backed at 25-1.

Sam Winner (33-1), Rebel Rebellion (33-1), Mon Parrain (50-1) and Benvolio (50-1) could line up as well.

 

BetBright Chase winner Rocky Creek, fifth in last year’s National, and Unioniste, who hacked up at Sandown in January before finishing third to Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Coneygree in Newbury’s Denman Chase, are the two Nicholls is pinning most of his hopes on.

The trainer, seeking his ninth championship this term, said: “Rocky Creek is the shortest priced of them and it was a massive run the other day, and he has improved since. He and Unioniste are the two, but you never know in a National, anything is possible. All ours deserve to be there.

“Unioniste’s form looks a whole lot better. He was third to Coneygree the other day and that is good form. We have trained him for this race. I probably shot myself in the foot winning at Sandown as he went up 10lb but he is an improving horse and the trip will suit him as long as there is plenty of cut in the ground.

“He and Rocky Creek are the two who have been aimed at the race. We missed Cheltenham with them and set our sights on this. It is what we did with Neptune Collonges.”

Confirming jockey arrangements, Nicholls added: “I hope Sean Bowen will ride Mon Parrain if he rides one more chase winner, but he has got plenty of time for that. I think Nick Scholfield will ride Sam Winner, Sam Twiston-Davies is on Rocky Creek and Noel Fehily will ride Unioniste. Ryan Mahon will be on Rebel Rebellion and I will sort the other one out nearer the time.”

fonte : RacingPost