Calgary Bay Connections Hoping He Bounces Back

Connections of Calgary Bay will be hoping that their horse will have learned from his mistake in the Grand National last season as they bid for the big race once again in April.

Calgary Bay failed to complete the course last season under jockey Hadden Frost in his debut run in the 4m4f contest.

The Henrietta Knight-trained runner has been out three times already this campaign. He got back to winning ways on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham in a Grade Three handicap chase. The Irish-bred horse went off at 8/1 at Prestbury Park and finished ahead of Havingotascoobydoo, Ghizao and Duke Of Lukka. However, he failed to make the placing in his two previous runs in the Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase and the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup, both at Cheltenham. People looking to sign up for a Grand National free bet will not have been impressed.

Calgary Bay has two entries for action this Saturday at Doncaster and Cheltenham. He could run in the Sky Bet Chase in Yorkshire or return to Cheltenham for a fourth time this season in the Murphy Group Chase. The likely option will be the Listed race at Doncaster where he would be given 11-11 and second in the weights behind I’msingingtheblues.

At the age of nine, he fits the profile more of a Grand National winner than he did last season where the stats were against him. Two nine-year olds have won the race in the last four years which include Comply Or Die and Mon Mome. Connections of Calgary Bay can also take heart from the fact that less than half the field completed the course last year in a tough race in sweltering conditions at Aintree.