Cash pours in for mud-loving Grand National horse as jockey returns from injury just in time for £1million race

8 months ago 58

CAOILIN QUINN is praying for the all-clear on Monday to live out his Grand National dream.

The rain has been pouring at Aintree and so has the cash for Favourite columnist Gary Moore’s Nassalam, now a 25-1 shot for the Grand National on April 13.

Nassalam and Caoilin Quinn pulverised rivals when winning the rain-soaked Welsh Grand National and the omens look good for Aintree too[/caption]

And his regular partner Quinn, 22, is itching to return following a shuddering collarbone break at Plumpton in February.

Quinn said: “My recovery has been going well, I’m seeing a specialist on Monday with the hope of being back riding on Tuesday.

“It’s been frustrating. I’d just closed the gap on Patrick Wadge in the conditional jockeys championship and felt I had some real momentum.

“As soon as I knew it was broken, my only goal was to get back for Aintree.”

Quinn, who has won three Grade 3s this season, enjoyed the biggest day of his career aboard Nassalam when the pair landed the Welsh National.

Mud-loving Nassalam gave the field a 34-length pasting at Chepstow and although gutted to miss out on a Gold Cup spin, Quinn will be living out a different dream on Saturday week.

Quinn said: “There’s loads of excitement and buzz about the yard for Nassalam and the rain has come at the perfect time – hopefully it just keeps tipping it down.

“I’m extremely lucky to have got on Nassalam and to now have the chance to ride him the Grand National.

“All you ever dream of as a jockey is winning the Grand National. It’s going to be a huge day for me and hopefully for Nassalam too.

“He should get his ideal ground and we know he jumps the fences well. He’s very uncomplicated and I’m just really looking forward to it.”

Paddy Power reported a deluge of cash on Nassalam earlier in the week as the forecast for Aintree looked wet, wet, wet.

Bookies make it just 1-3 the National to be run on soft, which will be right up Nassalam’s street.

And, on the back of that, they were forced to slash the horse’s price for the world’s most famous race.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Gary Moore’s comments about Nassalam relishing slow ground at Aintree and no concerns about his charge stepping up in trip seem to have galvanised punters into supporting the Welsh equivalent hero.

“It’s really been your fiver and tenner backers that have got stuck in and the pure volume of bets in support of him that have forced our evasive action.

“He’s now second from top in our book since we went non-runner money back behind only Shakem Up’Arry, who will be bidding to add to Harry Redknapp’s trophy cabinet.”