- Monday, 31 March 2025 15:50
- Written by David Pipe
Vieux Lion Rouge will be Parading at Aintree
On the final day of this month, I can report that it has been officially the driest March at Pond House since we started recording the rainfall 25 years ago. Just 8mm of rain has fallen here in the past 31 days, which fell on 22nd March (6mm) and 28th March (2mm). The previous lowest recorded amount of rainfall during March was back in 2012 when just over 22m of rain fell so we are quite some way below the previous lowest. In March 2024, we had 137mm of rain and up to the end of that month last year, the running total was 462.5mm. For the same period in 2025, we have had 243.5mm of rain. Despite the beginning of this year seaming as if it was endless rain, we are now well and truly behind last year!
I find it very interesting looking at statistics and while it doesn’t change what is happening and can happen it does usually work out by the end of the year that we have had similar yearly totals and number of days of rain! I am no weather expert but I would imagine due to climate change we now experience very wet periods with quite often-heavy rain and then we seem to have increasingly long dry spells as well.
The weather of course plays a big part in our sport and at the moment it is affecting the ground and therefor the amount of runners in races. Racecourses in general, do a good job of watering, some are better than others, but nothing beats natural rainfall and it is a worry to run some of our horses at the moment. If horses likes it and handle it, it is fine but they are more likely to pick up injuries, straight away or some that do not become evident until in the autumn when they are gearing up for next season. The ground at Stratford on Saturday was lovely ground on the easier side of good. Some help from above plus good watering and verti draining produced some safe ground and because they do not race their during the winter, this was only their second meeting of the year, there was lots of grass and very level ground. Courses that have been raced on all winter do not have this luxury and it does make a difference and makes things tougher for the racecourses.
Aintree will of course do a good job of watering this week and there is some exciting racing to look forward to before the big one, the Grand National on Saturday. Kingston Queen is likely to run in the mares listed bumper on Thursday and Jack Tudor will ride. If you had told me she would be running in this at the start of the season I probably would have laughed but she has done nothing but improve with each race. She was very green in her first two starts but everything clicked for her on Boxing Day up at Sedgefield where she scored, as she should. We tried listed company for the first time at Market Rasen in January and she stepped up another level to win at a big price under a good ride from Gearoid Harney. The horses placed behind her that day then went on to win and be second in the listed mare’s bumper at Sandown at the beginning of March, which gives a very solid look to the form. Our intentions were not necessarily to still be going for bumpers at this stage of the season but after Market Rasen we took stock and Aintree has been the plan. The Cheltenham Festival Bumper or this one at Aintree were the only two options available to her and she looks worth a go at the top level. She doesn’t officially turn five until next month and although I would have preferred a bit more rain, she is a likeable mare with a great attitude and she is one to look forward to novice hurdling in the autumn, whatever happens later this week.
Jurancon has an entry at Aintree on Friday but we have already made the decision he will not run. He definitely appreciates a bit more cut in the ground than he will get this week and so we will wait until it does rain. He is qualified for a nice race at Sandown on the final day of the season and that will now be his target, if the rain comes.
King Turgeon is still in the Grand National at present but will not make the cut for this year’s race. He will now go on his summer holidays with the aim to be back at Aintree over the Grand National fences in the autumn to try and win the Grand Sefton for a second time.
I shall be heading to Aintree on Thursday and my son Jack is very pleased to be breaking up from school on Wednesday so he can come to Aintree with me! There are sales after racing and there are some nice types in the sale with more still to be added after the weekend pointing action in Ireland. If you are interested in finding out more, please do get in touch, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ring 01884 840 715.
You can view the online catalogue here:
https://www.goffs.com/sale/UK/aintree-sale-2025
Our first runners of this week will be at Exeter on Wednesday where Kintaro and Castle Daragh run and will be both ridden by Ben Bromley. Kintaro has a bit too find with the principals on ratings in this seller but probably has more ability than he often shows, so if he puts his best foot forwards he could give them something to think about. The same comments apply to Castle Daragh and the main aim of Wednesday for him is to complete and give us something to build on going forward but he definitely has the ability to feature on a going day!
American Sniper has an entry at Plumpton on Thursday but it more likely to head to Chepstow on Saturday while we have a couple of entries at Ffos Las on Sunday as well. Keep checking the Daily News on the website for the latest news on the stable runners.
Last Week’s Runners
Harley’s Pride ran okay on stable debut in a bumper at Southwell last week. She found everything happening fast enough for her on the track and ground but stayed on well through the line and took a bit of pulling up. She will improve for further over hurdles in time. The ground was too quick for Royal Mer at Fontwell on Friday. It was a nice prize to go for but he found everything happening a bit too quicky for him and he could never really get involved. Jaipaletemps ran a similar race to his previous ones since coming from France and we will have to try something different to try to get his head in front.
Vieux Lion Rouge Parading
Vieux Lion Rouge is very much looking forward to his trip to Aintree this weekend to parade on Grand National Day. He is now sixteen years of age but looks well and is very spritely at home. He went up to parade in the autumn and he still enjoys his trips to his favourite racecourse. He was a two-time winner of the Becher Chase over the National Fences in 2016 and 2020 and he finished runner up in 2018. He has jumped a modern day record of 254 Grand National Fences in his career. He ran in the Grand National five times (it would have been more had Covid not got in the way!) and his best finishing position was sixth behind One For Arthur in 2017. Unfortunately for us, he did not quite stay the distance in the National itself but he did love those fences! He won 13 of his 41 career starts and won just over £344,000 in prize money in his career. He has been tremendous for owner Professor Caroline Tisdall and Pond House over the years and he will very much enjoy his day in the limelight once again on Saturday.
Pointing and More
It was another good weekend for Rian Corcoran as he rode his twelfth winner of the season at Trebudannon on Sunday. This was on board our former inmate Duc De Beauchene who is in the care of Rian’s family and so it made it an extra special win. Rian had some placings as well (including a second on Itacare) and capped off a good weekend by passing his driving test on Monday morning as well! Well done to him and watch out on the roads! We did not have any runners between the flags and have no entries this coming weekend as we wait for rain.
