Round-up: Conor O'Dwyer has been passed fit to ride Hardy Eustace at Liverpool on Saturday and the big race specialist will also be on board the veteran Native Upmanship in the John Smith's Grand National.
The double Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup-winning jockey broke a bone in his left ankle in a schooling accident just last Thursday and was in a cast up to yesterday morning when the injury was X-rayed.
"There's a bit of ligament damage, and it's still black and blue, but I've been passed fit to ride on Saturday. I have a bit of a limp but I'm happy, I'm fine and I don't see there being any problems. I've got four more days," O'Dwyer said yesterday.
However, he will not be race-riding until Saturday itself when Hardy Eustace and Native Upmanship will be his only mounts.
"I'm only going to go over late on Friday, ride the two horses I need to ride, and leave it at that," he confirmed. "Any decent spares will have been snapped up by now anyway."
The nearest O'Dwyer has got to National glory in the past was when third on board Laura's Beau behind Party Politics 14 years ago. Native Upmanship is one of the ante-post outsiders for the race but the 13-year-old has an excellent record on the Mildmay course having twice won the Melling Chase over two and a half miles.
Hardy Eustace's quick reappearance after his third to Brave Inca in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham could see him square up to the impressive Coral Cup winner Sky's The Limit as well as the World Hurdle hero My Way De Solzen. The latter could double up after running in the long-distance hurdle tomorrow.
The Irish handicapper, Noel O'Brien, has made a big effort to attract Beef Or Salmon and other top chasers to the Powers Whiskey Grand National at Fairyhouse later in the month but first of all Michael Hourigan has committed his stable star to tomorrow's Betfair Bowl at Aintree.
"He runs and Paul Carberry rides," confirmed Hourigan, who admitted that Beef Or Salmon's fourth attempt at the Gold Cup last month turned into a "nightmare".
He said: "He took a very bad fall there the first year and my daughter Kay said he went into the pre-parade ring this time and just stood. He didn't want to go in. I didn't think animals knew where they were but this horse obviously does. We're hoping for better luck at Aintree."
Hourigan had been looking at the Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival as a possible race for Beef Or Salmon after Liverpool. But a concentrated effort has been made to attract the horse to Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.
Beef Or Salmon has been dropped 3lb in the ratings to 164 while Saturday's Aintree National favourite Hedgehunter has been dropped the same. The Gold Cup third Forget The Past is now 2lb lower on 157.
"We will have to sit down and think about it," Hourigan admitted yesterday. "The handicapper is encouraging us to run in it."
The handicapper Noel O'Brien is also keen to attract the attention of the French trainer Francois Doumen, who has left in both First Gold and Innox in the Irish National.
"I would love to see a French runner in the race for the first time. I've dropped First Gold 2lb from his current French mark to his lowest ever chase rating. Innox is down 1lb," O'Brien said.
A total of 72 horses remain in the Irish National and it's the Thyestes and William Hill Chase winner Dun Doire who the bookmakers believe will come out on top. Trainer Tony Martin has given up on the chances of Dun Doire getting into the Aintree National field and is instead concentrating on the Irish equivalent which he won five years ago with Davids Lad.
Irish Grand National betting (courtesy of Paddy Power): 6 Dun Doire, 8 Forget The Past, 12 Beef Or Salmon, 14 GVA Ireland, Hedgehunter, Numbersixvalverde, Our Ben and Ross River, 16 bar.
