Trainer Donald McCain sends the same two horses out for the John Smith’s Grand National as he did last year, however his preparations this time around have attracted much less attention.
Cloudy Lane, sixth when favourite last year, and Idle Talk who completed the course at the rear of the field, aim again to give Donald McCain Aintree glory and a place beside his legendary father Ginger in Grand National folklore. Despite the lack of attention to his runners, McCain has been pleased with the preparation for this year’s renewal:
“My head girl reckons we've never got to Aintree so relaxed and it's been great for us all. Last year was hard work - we seemed to have camera crews here every day. We appreciated the attention but I think we were glad when it was all over.” said McCain.
The lack of media attention in McCain’s team is reflected in the betting for the big race. Cloudy Lane who is set to harbour top weight, is best priced 40/1 with Hills, whilst Idle Talk is available at 66/1 with Stan James for the famous steeplechase on April 4.