Yeah Man primed for Grand National Trial defence

Gavin Cromwell is confident Yeah Man “won’t be too far away” in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Oddschecker Grand National Trial at Haydock on Saturday.

The eight-year-old ploughed through the mud to strike gold 12 months ago and heads back across the Irish Sea following two sound efforts in prestigious handicaps in his homeland, having finished third in the Troytown at Navan and fourth in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.

Yeah Man will encounter drier ground on his return to Haydock this weekend, which his trainer admits is not ideal, but he is nevertheless expecting a bold showing.

Cromwell said: “It looks like conditions won’t be as testing this year, which I suppose is probably a negative for him given he handled the ground so well last year.

“He’s obviously gone up a bit in the ratings as well, but he’s in good form and his last couple of runs have been good, so hopefully he won’t be too far away.

“He can handle it (better ground) and a stamina test is the big thing for him. Going back up to three and a half miles, hopefully that will help him.”

Another trainer hoping conditions do not dry out too much is Mel Rowley, who is preparing to saddle her Welsh Grand National hero Val Dancer.

The eight-year-old got the better of the reopposing Jubilee Express (Sam Thomas) to land Chepstow’s Christmas highlight and Rowley has been pleased with how her stable star has recovered from those exertions.

“He’s very well, we’ve been delighted with everything he has done since his run at Chepstow,” she said.

“My only concern at the moment would be the lack of rain, as while he’s shown he has the ability to go on a sounder surface it just depends how much sounder that surface becomes between now and Saturday.

“He has totally endeared himself to everybody connected with us and the yard, he’s always been a horse in the making and he’s just come of age.

“He deserves it, he really does, he’s developed into such a nice horse, both physically and temperament-wise. He definitely is one of our shining stars, that’s for sure.”

The weights are headed by Haydock favourite Royale Pagaille, whose record of five course wins from seven starts includes two Betfair Chase victories and two triumphs in the Peter Marsh.

The Venetia Williams-trained 11-year-old, who was disappointingly pulled up when bidding for a Peter Marsh hat-trick last month, will on Saturday be ridden by title-chasing Sean Bowen for the first time, with stable jockey Charlie Deutsch instead at Ascot to partner another Williams ace in L’Homme Presse.

Bowen said: “He is a very good horse that obviously loves it around Haydock. It is the right track for him and he is trained by a very good trainer.

“Hopefully Venetia can get him back from his last disappointing run and if that is the case then he can go well.

“He is a genuine Grade One horse and while he is carrying a lot of weight, that is for a good reason.

“All eyes are on him every time he goes to Haydock and he is a great ride to get as he is a very high-profile horse.”

Royale Pagaille’s presence means half of the 10-strong field are running from out of the handicap, including Jamie Snowden’s Git Maker.

The nine-year-old, who is 5lb wrong at the weights, was second in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham and third in the Scottish Grand National last spring and is expected to strip fitter for a comeback run over hurdles at Windsor last month.

“It’s a shame Royale Pagaille runs because he puts most of the field out of the handicap, but that’s kind of the way it is,” said Snowden.

“The run at Windsor was perfect, it blew the cobwebs away. He’d been off the track since the Scottish National and a sharp track like Windsor was never going to be suitable, but it worked timing-wise just to give him a spin ready for this.

“This has been the plan, he’s in good order and he goes there with a good chance.”

Lucinda Russell has high hopes for Apple Away, who reverts to handicap company after picking up the silver medal in a couple of Listed mares’ chases.

“Apple Away is in good form and I think she has quite a nice racing weight (10st 2lb) for the race. She is a very high-class mare and I would say she has each-way chance here,” said Russell.

“She is in the Grand National, but she is unlikely to get in that as she is way down on the list, so her main aim is the Scottish Grand National.”