Fine Shot handed Aintree assignment

Fine Shot is poised to represent the King and Queen on Grand National day, with Jamie Snowden pointing his Kempton winner towards Aintree.

The appropriately-named son of Jack Hobbs prevailed on his second racecourse appearance and is now destined for Liverpool and the Grade Two bumper that concludes the April 11 action on Merseyside.

Snowden said: “He’s come out of Kempton really well and is in fine order. I was really impressed with that race and the form has worked out well – the second (Dan Skelton’s Rattlin Home) has good form with the Champion Bumper winner (having beaten him in a point-to-point).

“I think it will prove quite a deep race and he won really well.

“I think we will go to Aintree with him all being well. He’s by Jack Hobbs and spring ground will suit him. I thought the flat track and nice ground helped him at Kempton and hopefully we get the same at Aintree.

“The plan was to go hurdling with him, but he met with a bit of a setback and wasn’t ready until the spring, so we thought let’s keep our novice hurdling status, enjoy him in bumpers this term and then look forward to hurdles next season.”

“He’s a smart horse and hopefully can run well at Aintree.”

Meanwhile, it is still to be determined if Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival hero Johnny’s Jury will head to Aintree, where the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle the Lambourn trainer won 12 months would be a viable option.

Snowden is currently keeping all options open as he lets the six-year-old’s Prestbury Park victory sink in, while also minded he has an exciting prospect for the future on his hands.

“He’s come out of the race really well and it was a great day at Cheltenham,” said the BetVictor ambassador.

“He went in there two from two for us but it was a big step up, up to three miles and in a Grade One. He suggested he would get it and indeed he did, he stormed up the hill and it was wonderful.

“Cheltenham and Grade One winners on their own are hard enough and put the two together makes it almost impossible, so to win one meant for a great day.

“All options are open and we’ll keep them open as long as we can. We’re in a lovely position where we can think all of the options.

“He jumps really nicely and could go novice chasing next season, but he’s only run four times in his career and didn’t run in a point-to-point or bumper so he’s lightly raced and is an exciting horse to have in the team.”