RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL NEWS: JOHN McCONNELL “VERY EXCITED” AT PROSPECT OF FIRST-EVER RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL RUNNER MAHLER MISSION

 

Irish trainer John McConnell admitted to being “very excited” at the prospect of having his first ever runner in the Randox Grand National after Mahler Mission was given a weight of 11st 1lb and a rating of 158.

The eight-year-old was last seen finishing second in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in December last year to Datsalrightgino and has been on many punters’ shortlists for the Aintree spectacular ever since.

At number 14 on the list the gelding is guaranteed a run and McConnell said of his rating: “I knew he got up to 158 after the Coral Gold Cup so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. It’s fine isn’t it? It’s a nice weight.

“He’d be my first National runner. I had a first reserve about three years ago but he didn’t get in so at least he’ll (Mahler Mission) get in.

“It’s very exciting to be going there with a horse and maybe a horse with a chance as well. I didn’t expect him to be so high. I thought there would be more high quality horses entered.”

Mahler Mission has not been seen on the racetrack since his Newbury exploits and McConnell is considering an outing before Aintree in April.

He explained: “He had a break after that run and he’s back now in full training. There is a possibility that we could give him a hurdle run maybe, but he’s fine and at the minute he’s very well.

“He definitely wouldn’t be going to Cheltenham though. He doesn’t need to be having a hard race before the National.”

Asked if Mahler Mission’s connections were keen on a trip to Aintree, he replied: “The owners are leaving it up to me but you’re kind of limited where you can go with a guy with his rating anyway.

“At the minute he’s still a little bit short of Gold Cup class so you have to go for one of the big, big handicaps and way he jumps he looks like Aintree should suit him, so it’s an obvious target.

“He probably does handle all ground but slow, good ground or good to soft is fine for him and he’s got a high cruising speed as well, so he shouldn’t be taken off his feet if they did go quick early.

“Obviously you need an awful lot of luck and you need to be 110% for it but he certainly ticks a lot of the boxes.”

McConnell added that conditional jockey Ben Harvey, who has partnered Mahler Mission on his two most recent starts, at Carlisle in November in the Colin Parker Memorial Chase and in December’s Coral Gold Cup, will be booked to ride “all being well”.