National Quest on the cards for Surrey

Connections of Surrey Quest are in the process of mapping out a campaign that could end at a Grand National following his Cheltenham return – but the handicapper could determine whether they take a crack at the Aintree showpiece or return to Scotland next April.

Trained by Toby Lawes and owned by Surrey Racing, the seven-year-old ended a brilliant 2023-24 season with an agonising nose defeat to Willie Mullins’ Macdermott in the Scottish Grand National earlier in the year.

The Surrey Quest team had suggested a return to Ayr was on the cards for later in the season, fearing it may be a year too soon to head to Liverpool for the Grand National.

However, after staying on strongly for second at Prestbury Park, Aintree has returned to connections’ thoughts, with Surrey Quest’s future certain to lie over extreme tests of stamina.

“We were thrilled with the comeback and he had been off for 211 days after the Scottish National,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing.

“We thought the ground would be too quick for him at Cheltenham and it turned out to be that way. It was a storming finish and it has set him up well for the season, which is the most important thing for us.

“We’re not going to run too many times and he goes well fresh. The plan was always the Mandarin but the way he was outpaced at Cheltenham and finished well, you have to think he will be better over longer – we know that from Scotland to be fair.

“There are a few options around and lots of these top staying chases, but we have not decided on the end game yet either. A lot will depend on the handicapper next week and it will also depend on what we decide the final run of the season will be.”

He went on: “We had kind of dropped the idea of the English National and haven’t entered the Becher, but maybe that comes into play again now if he goes up a few pounds? We have also mentioned going back to Ayr but we’re undecided.

“Is he too young for the Grand National? He will be an eight-year-old and maybe it is one to leave this season, but if he is to do a Red Rum and win three, then he needs to run this year!

“It’s great to sit down and have the conversations with Toby over a pint and along with Kevin (Brogan, jockey) and Steve (Grubb, co-founder of Surrey Racing), we’re going to sit down and come up with a plan.”

Surrey Quest’s sterling effort came in the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase marred by the deaths of both Warren Greatrex’s Abuffalosoldier and Ben Pauling’s Bangers And Cash and Hadingham admits it was hard to take in the performance given the tragic events in the aftermath of the staying handicap.

“It was a fantastic run but it was hard to appreciate it really with what happened after the race,” he added.

“Cheltenham was very sombre afterwards and for obvious reasons dissecting the race wasn’t an immediate priority. It was a great run, but our thoughts are still with the connections of the other horses really.”