Pineau De Re is being aimed for a second Grand National victory
Get the latest news from the 2014 Aintree hero’s trainer
Dr Richard Newland, who trained Pineau De Re to win the Aintree Grand National, is hoping his 2014 hero and his other intended runner, Royale Knight, both make the field for this year’s contest on Saturday April 9.
The Lambourn-based handler has been finalising preparations for his duo with Pineau De Re partnered by Brian Hughes in popping over two replica Grand National fences twice, as did Royale Knight who was ridden by Brendan Powell jnr.
Newland said:
“We’ve done all our preparations now and the horses are very fit. This was just a case of getting the jockeys acquainted to the horses.”
Pineau De Re was ridden to his Grand National triumph by Leighton Aspell, who last year made a successful switch to Many Clouds and became the first jockey for 41 years to win the world’s greatest steeplechase back to back.
In 2015, Pineau De Re finished 12th under Daryl Jacob while Royale Knight was a long way ahead of him in sixth place under Powell.
Neither of Newland’s two candidates are yet guaranteed to get a run in the Grand National and the trainer is sweating on whether they will make the final field, with Pineau De Re and Royale Knight sitting just outside the top 40 entries for the race.
Newland added:
“We know one or two are coming out so we just have to hope enough come out to get a run. It would be incredible for Pineau De Re not to get a run off (a handicap rating of) 143. Last year Royale Knight was last in off 139.”
Pineau De Re is 1lb higher in the weights than Royale Knight so is more likely to make the cut, and Newland offered a positive update regarding the horse’s wellbeing.
He added:
“He’s very good. He won over hurdles at Carlisle before Christmas, which was great, but we gave him a bit of an easy time after that – probably too much of an easy time – and I was disappointed with him at Chepstow.
“He ran well at Newbury the following week though, and since then I’ve given him a lot of work and he has taken it well.”
