Jockey Nick Scholfield feels Monbeg Genius has all the right attributes to produce a career-best effort in the Randox Grand National.
The Jonjo and AJ O’Neill-trained chaser lost his form last spring, having finished third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury earlier in the campaign, but appears to have rediscovered his mojo this time around.
The nine-year-old built on a promising fourth in the fog at Chepstow over Christmas when winning by five lengths at Uttoxeter early last month, a success which saw his official rating rise 5lb and effectively secure his place in the line-up at Aintree on Saturday week.
Speaking on Monday’s Nick Luck Daily, Scholfield said: "He’s had three good runs this year. He had a lot of weight in the Welsh Grand National and still ran a creditable race.
“People probably didn’t see a lot of it in the fog but he just missed one [fence] early on, he jumped it a bit big, and he did well to get fourth from where he was.
“He carried top weight in very attritional ground at Uttoxeter the last day and galloped right through the line well. He feels to me like he will certainly stay [the National distance], I think he’ll appreciate having 10 stone six on his back too as he’s been carrying 12 stone all season. That’ll certainly help.
“He’s got some classy form. He has some issues last year but Jonjo has done well to get him back to where he was and you’ve got to be on that mark to get in the race now – it’s all about fine margins but it looks like it’s just about come right.”
Monbeg Genius now runs in the yellow and blue silks of Martin Tedham & Wasdell Properties Ltd, an owner with whom Scholfield has had a long association.
He said: “I was stable jockey for Andy Turnell and Martin owned a lot of the horses back then. We’ve been together a long time and have been good friends, he’s been a great supporter. We’ve had Cheltenham Festival winners together with Sky Pirate but to have a National ride for him is something that he’s always wanted and something I’ve always wanted.
“So fingers crossed we can stay in one piece over the next 10 days and that’ll come true.”
As for getting down to 10-6 on National day, the jockey hopes it will all be worthwhile.
“I’ll be at my fighting weight,” he said. “I wouldn’t want it any lighter for a race like that but it’s a perfect weight for me and the horse.
“I’ve had plenty of goes in the National but it’s always a race that you want to be involved in, it’s a race that is getting so hard to get a ride in. When I started out there were more runners but it’s difficult to find a ride for the National now so to secure one is magic.”
Reflecting on previous National horses who carried Scholfield into the places in the famous race, he added: “Santini was brilliant, he jumped really good. He probably would have appreciated the jumps of old, but ran a creditable race, finishing fourth.
“And going back to Teaforthree [in 2013], I thought I had a great chance jumping the last when I was sort of upsides Auroras Encore of Sue Smith’s but that one galloped past us. We ended up third but he was a magic ride for Rebecca Curtis and to finish in the top three in the National is obviously great but it gives you a taste of something and I wouldn’t mind being in the places on Monbeg Genius.”
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Free bets
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
