Ballabriggs Returns To Action

Racing results can be tricky thing because we often have to take things at face value such as Ballabriggs returning to action only to come fourth in the recent Totepool.com premier Chase at Kelso on March 3rd. Based on that result you wouldn’t exactly be busting a gut to back him in the 2012 Grand National. But all is not as it seems.

Attending a recent Cheltenham preview evening at Bangor on Dee racecourse, Donald McCain Jnr advised that Ballabriggs was in tremendous nick and was desperate for a run and provided that the going was good he would start at Kelso but don’t expect him to win. And although that sounded daft, he was just entering him because he needed a run out.

Run he did and he turned in a solid performance. In fact he was leading on the run up to the finish but whether or not Jason Maguire decided against pushing him too hard, he ultimately appeared to weaken as the others over took him and finished in fourth. It should be noted that there were only five in the race.

So was it just a handy little exercise for Ballabriggs, something to stretch his legs and warm him up for his repeat bid at Aintree or did he really not have it in the tank to bring it home in the last few yards? No doubt he was never going to be given the race of his life at Kelso and maybe McCain is biding his time for April 14th…who knows!