ANY SECOND NOW confirmed his status as a leading contender for the Aintree Grand National with a fine victory at Naas.
The JP McManus-owned eight-year-old was a well supported 3/1 chance for this afternoon’s Grade Three Chase – a race trainer Ted Walsh had previously won with subsequent Grand National winner Papillon and his Aintree third, Seabass.
Bidding for his first victory since landing the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, Any Second Now was positioned in the slipstream of last year’s winner Cadmium for much of the two-mile journey, before taking over the lead in the home straight.
With Cadmium weakening tamely out of contention, 5/2 favourite Articulum emerged as the biggest threat to Any Second Now – who dug deep in the testing conditions to score by a length and a quarter in the hands of Mark Walsh.
Any Second Now was widely made the second favourite for the Grand National, second only to history-chasing Tiger Roll.
Ted Walsh said: “He travelled well and jumped well, and if he runs as well as Seabass (at Aintree), I’ll be delighted.
“He was nicely treated with 11st 1lb on his back. The only fence he reached for was the last, and Mark was delighted with him.
“It’s a good prep for Aintree. Whether he’s good enough or not, only time will tell. He’s going there in a good frame of mind and he gets the trip. If you’re not in you can’t win!
“He won a Grade Two hurdle at Punchestown as a novice. He’s a classy enough horse, and the soft ground suited him as well.”
Mark Walsh and McManus were on the mark again when Castle Oliver completed his hat-trick in the €50,000 Novice Handicap Chase.
The Grade 2 Novice Hurdle went to 25/1 outsider Jason The Militant, ridden by Rachael Blackmore for Henry de Bromhead, who held on to beat Beacon Edge by a nose, with market leaders Andy Dufresne and Mt Leinster third and fourth.
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