Iroko to prep for Aintree Grand National at Kelso

The seven-year-old holds entries in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury and in the Premier Chase at Kelso this weekend with connections leaning towards a trip to Scotland as long as conditions are suitable.

"We're going to Kelso all being well," joint-trainer Josh Guerriero told Sky Sports Racing.

"It should be a nice experience for him up there, not too many runners and back up to three mile.

"We're keen to go left-handed as well. The record of horses running right-handed before the National isn't very good for some reason so we were keen to find a race left-handed which looks ideal at Kelso."

Iroko hasn't won in five starts since November 2023 but has run well on both completed starts this season, including when catching the eye of the stewards at Cheltenham last time [replay below], a race which Graham Cunningham covered in his Sporting Life column.

Guerriero, though, was more than happy with the performance, saying: "Very good [run at Cheltenham], he will have learned a lot.

"Running him in those good handicaps over that trip will have sharpened him up a bit, got experience and I think he will have learned a lot and he finished well.

"He's come back bouncing, he looks amazing so I'm looking forward to the spring with him now."

Guerriero revealed that the Grand National has been a long-term plan for him and joint-trainer Oliver Greenall ever since the seed was planted by Iroko's owner, JP McManus, following Iroko's second to the same owner's Inothewayurthinkin in the Grade One Manifesto Novices' Chase at last season's Grand National Festival.

"After Aintree last year, when he walked back into the winner's enclosure JP said to us 'that's my National horse for next year' so we've had it in our heads since then," he revealed.

"We've always thought he would want a trip, he always finishes his races very well and jumps brilliantly and he's obviously got plenty of class so he was probably made to be a National horse from the start."

Iroko is 12/1 with Sky Bet for the Randox Grand National with the firm paying six places instead of four in their ante-post book. He can be backed with the same firm at 6/5 for the Premier Chase at Kelso.

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