After watching his charge come within a whisker of claiming Grand National glory in 2016, we take a look at what Kim Bailey had to say about The Last Samuri’s chances of taking the title next month.
Scaling the final fence in the 2016 Grand National, The Last Samuri had every chance of winning. He had led the way for the entire second circuit at Aintree and his jumping had remained smooth and precise as challengers either side had crumbled under the pressure. With the finishing line in sight, David Bass asked his charge to push on once again, but Rule The World loomed up on his shoulder and swooped past to claim a memorable victory.
Memories of Mr Frisk’s triumph in 1990 will have flooded back to Kim Bailey, as he watched his charge leap the last in a seemingly dominant position, but to see the Gigginstown flag draped around the winners’ enclosure following Rule The World eventual victory must have been a bitter pill to swallow.
However, there was no shame in The Last Samuri’s defeat – he put in a fantastic performance and showed enough to convince Bailey that he would be more than capable of winning the title at the second time of asking. History doesn’t smile too kindly on those who try and win the National on the second attempt, but that hasn’t put Bailey off sending his charge to Aintree in 2017 and he proclaimed his confidence to the media earlier this month.
“I’m delighted with him. He has been prepared for one race and one race only. He has come out of Saturday’s race in fine shape and he will now head straight to Aintree next month without another run, which was always the plan.”
The nine-year-old began his new season with a decent showing in the Grade 1 JNWine Champion Chase at Down Royal, before coming home a strong third carrying top weight in the Becher Chase on his return to Aintree. On his final pre-National prep run, Bailey sent The Last Samuri back to Doncaster, in a bid to defy the handicappers and retain his title in the Grimthorpe Chase.
His jumping was a little sloppy during the early stages of that race and he was sitting in fifth when eventual winner, Definitly Red broke away from the leading pack. But Bailey’s charge battled bravely up the home straight and managed to come home a highly-respectable runner-up.
“It was a much better race at Doncaster on Saturday than when he won it last year and he was shouldering 12lb more this time around. He had top weight and was giving the winner 12lb, so it was a really good performance as he was staying on very well from the last fence.”
“We had the race lined up for him as we wanted to follow the same route to Aintree as last year and everything I saw at Doncaster makes me think the horse is just as good, if not better, than he was 12 months ago and all roads definitely now lead to Liverpool at the beginning of next month.”
Bailey was the feature guest on ITV’s Morning Show on Saturday and he reiterated his confidence in the Last Samuri, claiming he was “in the form of his life” and the experience he gained at last year’s Festival will be the key to going one better this time around, when he returns to the Grand National on the first weekend of April..
