BRITISH trainers can breathe a sigh of relief ahead of Aintree, with Willie Mullins deciding against sending a big team to Liverpool this week.
The leading Irish trainer, who has admitted he has one eye on the British trainers’ championship crown, is now only likely to have a handful of runners.
He admitted his team ‘isn’t as strong’ as previous years.
But he believes he has a good chance of winning the Grade 1 Betway Bowl on Thursday, the opening day of the Grand National Festival.
Four-time Grade 1 winner Kemboy, who bagged the Bowl by nine lengths back in 2019, is has been kept fresh especially for Aintree.
He is undoubtedly the stand out runner for Team Mullins in Liverpool this week, and he has been trained with the £250,000 race in mind.
The horse’s last win came in the Irish Gold Cup in February last year, and he was fifth when attempting to defend his crown this season.
Mullins said: “Kemboy loves the track and he was very good in the race a few years ago so we decided to skip Cheltenham this year and aim for there and nicer ground.”
But the top trainer was less upbeat about his chances of winning the £1 million Grand National.
His sole Grand National win to date came back in 2005 with Hedgehunter, is set to run four in Saturday’s marathon.
His leading contender is Burrows Saint, who finished fourth in the race last season and is a 20-1 shot with Coral.
Mullins is also likely to saddle Agusta Gold, Brahma Bull and Class Conti.
Of the four, only Agusta Gold, who was a close second at Down Royal, ran well in their prep races for Aintree.
Burrows Saint was beaten over 40 lengths in the Bobbyjo Chase, Class Conti was beaten out of sight in the Leinster National and Brahma Bull unseated his jockey at Cheltenham.
Mullins said: “Burrows Saint is fine. You would rather have had a better run in the Bobbyjo and it’s going to be hard to turn around the form with Any Second Now.
“The team might not be as strong as other years. You’d rather some of them had better runs prior to the National, but then it’s the National and who knows what’s going to happen?”
