O’Neill excited about Synchronised’s winning prospect for the John Smith’s Grand National
With Synchronised’s recent victory in the Grade 1 Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase, he is looking in extremely good shape. Jonjo O’Neill has bigger plans for him, as he wants the nine-year-old to compete in the John Smith’s Grand National.
If Synchronised runs and succeeds in this race, he will be the second horse in history to land a victory in the Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same season. Golden Miller is the only other horse, who has bagged these two victories in the same
season, along with five consecutive Gold Cup wins from 1932-1936.
Most connections do not race in the National race after the festival but O’Neill looks excited about the gelding’s prospects. A decision has not been made, but O’ Neill considers the gelding to be in good enough form to compete. He stated to the press
that "Synchronised has come out of Cheltenham fine and we'll make a decision nearer the time whether we go or not but there's no reason why not at the moment.”
He stated: “He's in great form and if he comes back to the form he was in at Cheltenham then why wouldn't you go there?"
Synchronised’s triumph in the Gold Cup in the Cheltenham Festival was commendable. With A.P McCoy as his jockey, the son of Sadler’s Wells, out of mare Mayasta, defeated The Giant bolster by 2 ¼ lengths earning him the prize of £284,750.
O’Neill’s Sunnyhillboy may also compete in the Grand National as he was successful in the Cheltenham Festival. He was a race favourite with the odds of 13 to 2 and defeated Becauseicouldntsee, by a wide margin of 4 ½ lengths in the Fulke Walwyn Kim
Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase on 15th March 2012.
About Sunnyhillboy’s condition, the trainer stated that "Sunnyhillboy is also in good form. He stayed well at Cheltenham the other day and I think he'll probably get the trip. He's a contender hopefully.”
John P. McManus, Synchronised’s owner, has yet made a decision yet about the Grand National, but he was extremely pleased with the runner’s performance in the Cheltenham Festival.
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