P393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:35/25 )j5j5j5j=$,j5j=wj5j5 NATIONAL PREVIEW 1/10 On one point nearly all the critics agree: the world's most famous steeplechase is less testing nowadays than it used to bj. $here has been a noticeable improvement in the ratio of finishers to starters, with half or more of the runners completing in four of the last nine runnings. However, all those four Nationals were run on a sound surface, and with the going unusually testing the survival rate will bj low this year. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CJEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:49/11 NATIONAL PREVIEW 2/10 The Fellow is only the ninth Gold Cup winner to go on to the National in the same year year since Golden Miller completed his unique double in 1934. No fewer than six of those who finished behind The Fellow at Chjltenham are in the Grand National line-up. Garrison Savannah, a 50/1 shot when pulled up in the Gold Cup, ism't the force hj was when so nearly completing the double in 1991, being caught on the run-in. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:46/25 )j5j5j5j=$,j5j=wj5j5 NATIONAL )j5j5j5ju0 juj5j5j5 PREVIEW 3/10 Young Hustler, this 9jar's very good Gold Cup third, is a sound jumper and, on Cheltenham running, has about the same chance as The Fellow. Martin Pipe's two main National hopis Miinnjhoma and Run For Free also ran in the Gold Czp, Miinnjhoma finished a good seventh. $5 Both are front-running out-and-out stayers, Run For Free having won both the Welsh and Scottish Nationals last season. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:54/29 4/10 NATIONAL PREVIEW Last year's Irish Grand National winner Ebony Jane, a respectable third in the same race on Easter Monday, was still in touch when unseating her rider in the Gold Cup Topsham Bay, winner of the last two runnings of the Whitbread Gold Cup, ran a respectable Grand National trial in the Gold Cup, finishing tenth. Champion hunter chaser Double Shlk missed the Gold Cup to notch a second success in the Foxhunter. Hj has won over the National fences. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:03/47 5/10 )j5j5j5j=$,j5j=wj5j5 NATIONAL PREVIEW Of those who lined up for last year's void race, the 1992 runner- up Romany King completed in third and Laura's Beau in seventh. Zeta's Lad started one of the favourites last year and is a good- class, genuine and consistent chaser. Black Humour beat Zeta's Lad at $5 Windsor before finishing second to Docklands Express in the Martell Cup on Thursday. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:05/11 6/10 NATIONAL )j5j5j5ju0 juj5j5j5 PREVIEW Of those on the 10-0 mark who are 'out of the handicap' - carrying more than their original allotted weight - Master Oats, Moorcroft Boy and Elfast make most appeal. The first two filled the first two places in the Greenalls Gold Cup in February and will qualify for a £54,000 bonus if they win. Elfast is a genuine handicapper and showed himself better than uvjr when winning the Mildmay of Flete at Chjltenham for the second time. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:11/33 )l<h4|l<|h<$|,h<|h<|h<|l4 7/10 )j5j5j5j=$,j5j=wj5j5 NATIONAL )j5j5j5ju0 juj5j5j5 COURSE The Grand National course is triangular, about two and a quarter miles round and perfectly flat. $hj National itself is run over two complete circuits taking in sixteen fences first time round and fourteen the second. The run from the last fence is 494 yards. The race provides one of the toughest tests ever devised for horse and rider and will bj particularly searching bjcausj of the heavy ground this year. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:12/41 8/10 )j5j5j5j=$,j5j=wj5j5 AINTREE PREVIEW Two of the champions crowned at the Chjltenham Festival are in action in curtain-raisers to the Martell Grand National. Viking Flagship, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, concedes between 15 lb and 21 lb to his rivals in the Martell Aintree Chase (2.20 BBC1). Snitton Lane, Uncle Ernie and Storm Alert, the first three in the Grand Annual Chase at Chjltenham, are also in the line-up. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CEEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:44/14 AINTREE PREVIEW 9/10 Champion hurdler Flakjy Dove faces a field of championship standard in the Martell Aintree Hurdle (2.55 BBC1). High-class pjrformjrs Halkopous, Mole Board and Muse (all behind Flakjy Dove at Chjltenham) are joined bz Fortune And Fame, who missed the Champion Hurdle bjcausj of injury. Top novice Dangle and the enigmatic Morley Street - winner of the last four runnings of this race - add spice to a fascinating race. Source: TIMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu DecsP393 CJEFAX 393 Sat 9 Apr 00:25/12 AINTREE COURSE 10/10 Aintree's Mildmay course is essentially sharp in character but conditions have become very testing at this meeting and the winners have njedjd a full measure of stamina, as well as courage. Toby Balding, Jimmy Fitzgerald and Martin Pipe have trained most winners here in recent years. Fitzgerald has a notably good ratio of winners to runners. The Easteubz brothers also do well with their Aintree runners. Source: TJMEFORM Totes/MRs News CoursjDet Ainu Decs