Distance favours Zaynar in Aintree Hurdle
Having endured the chastening experience of watching Imperial Commander run so poorly on the first day of Aintree’s Grand National meeting his trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, will be hoping for better fortune with another of his stable stars.
Khyber Kim, second to Binocular in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last month, seeks to gain a compensatory victory in the Grade One John Smith’s d**k Francis Aintree Hurdle. In the Champion he was denied by Binocular, from the stable of Nicky Henderson, and that yard may provide the nemesis again with Zaynar.
Zaynar finished six lengths behind Khyber Kim but there are sound reasons for believing that he can turn the form around. After Khyber Kim had won at Cheltenham in early December, Twiston-Davies elected to keep the horse off the track in the belief that he is best fresh.
That must bring into question his ability to produce another top-class run on a break of 25 days. Also, Khyber Kim has never won beyond two miles while Zaynar’s two wins this season have come at or further than this distance of two-and-a-half miles and Henderson can also win the John Smith´s Handicap Chase with Wogan.
The name McCain will always be synonymous with Aintree, and the Grand National in particular, thanks to Ginger McCain and Red Rum. McCain’s son, Donald, may not win the race this year but, in Peddlers Cross, he has a horse who can maintain his progression through the ranks by winning the John Smith’s Mersey Novices´ Hurdle, while Bergo might just slip under the radar in the John Smith´s Maghull Novices’ Chase.
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