Henry de Bromhead was “surprised” at the handicapper’s decision to raise Minella Times by more than a stone for the Randox Grand National.
The JP McManus-owned gelding helped Rachael Blackmore make history as the first female jockey to win the world’s greatest steeplechase in April last year carrying a weight of 10st 3lb.
Since then the nine year old has fallen at Punchestown in December and was pulled up at Leopardstown earlier this month. However, handicapper Martin Greenwood has given him a rating of 161 and a weight of 11st 4lb for this year’s Grand National, the same as dual winner Tiger Roll.
On learning his allocated weight, trainer de Bromhead said: “I’m surprised he’s that. I didn’t think he went up as much as that after he won and going on his form this year I’m surprised he got increased.
“He loves it around Aintree and certainly did last year, so hopefully he’ll come back to form now. He’s been a little bit off form recently but he looks like he’s coming back to form and hopefully he will by then.
“They certainly have to enjoy it to do well around there and hopefully going back will help him find his form.”
County Waterford-based de Bromhead has other contenders for this year’s race, including Chris’s Dream off of a mark of 162 and 11st 5lb, a pound higher than Minella Times.
And de Bromhead said: “He’s a couple of pounds less than last year and he looked to be going well when unseating at Valentine’s, so we’re happy with that and it seems fair enough.
“He seems good after Gowran. He’s normally a brilliant jumper and hopefully he’ll be back on song there at Aintree.”
Of his other potential runners, de Bromhead added: “Poker Party (10st 2lb) seems to be coming back to form after being out for a long time through injury. He’s in good form now and hopefully he’ll sneak in there and if he does he’ll have a nice racing weight.
“I’d say Eklat De Rire (10st 10lb) is unlikely to run in the Grand National this year, while Plan Of Attack (9st 9lb) is unlikely to get in, you’d think. The main aim for him is the Cross Country race - he really enjoys those fences.”
