Any Second Now – Grand National Placed Horse Given Classic Chase Entry at Warwick

The 2022 Grand National runner-up Any Second Now could run in the Classic Chase at Warwick this Saturday (13 January) after trainer Ted Walsh entered him in the feature 3m 5f Premier Handicap. Owned by JP McManus, the now 12-year-old gelding by Oscar is no stranger to racing the in the UK.

Any Second Now, a dual winner of the Webster Cup in Ireland, won the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown seven years ago this weekend. He soon went chasing and broke his maiden tag in some style at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival with victory in the Kim Muir.

Connections have dreamed of winning the world’s most famous steeplechase with him ever since. An unlucky third in the 2021 Grand National when hampered by a faller, Any Second Now went one place better 12 months later. He chased home Noble Yeats, a rare seven-year-old scorer of the Merseyside showpiece.

All roads probably lead back to Aintree races for the McManus homebred and a third crack at Grand National glory on 13 April. Any Second Now was part of a 1-2-3-4-5 for Ireland in the race three years ago and has a current handicap mark of 148, significantly lower than his ratings for all three appearances on Merseyside but still topweight.

Leading Irish horse racing owner McManus also has Duc De Beauchene, in training with David Pipe, in the Classic Chase. Last year’s fourth Guetapan Collonges has a 10lb higher rating to contend with for the Charlie Longsdon stable, so the famous green and gold hoops silks should appear among final declarations.

Any Second Now Horse Profile

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“It Suits The National Horses”

Speaking to Nick Luck on the broadcaster’s Daily Podcast, Walsh explained why connections entered Any Second Now in the Classic Chase. “I’ve never had a runner at Warwick and I’ve never been to Warwick, but it’s a race I’ve often watched,” he said.

“It suits the National horses. There is a lot of jumping and you really have to stay there, which I think will suit him. I am very limited what I can do here [over in Ireland]. He’s not good enough for the better races. I ran him at Navan off 150 and he’s now rated 148.

“If I didn’t run him there [Warwick], then I’d go to the Thyestes [at Gowran Park on 25 January], but that is often very heavy ground and it’s competitive, so Warwick is definitely on the agenda. I put him in as the conditions of the race will suit him.”

Course Winning Mares Also Among Classic Chase Entries

There are 21 horses entered in the showpiece of Warwick races today and a maximum field of 20 can run. Chief among those are a couple of mares who won novice chases at the West Midlands venue in Fontaine Collonges and Galia Des Liteaux. The former is with the all-conquering Venetia Williams stable.

Fontaine Collonges has a 7lb hike from the handicapper for her 14-length romp in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby races on Boxing Day. One of only two finishers on ground officially described as soft, the second day of the Yorkshire Christmas Meeting was subsequently abandoned the following morning when the track became unraceable.

A lot to like from GALIA DES LITEAUX there in the G2 Hampton Novices Chase at Warwick.

A lovely mare for Dan Skelton and a bright future ahead.pic.twitter.com/oyKzdGMuLn

— Road To Cheltenham (@RoadCheltenham) January 14, 2023

Galia Des Liteaux, meanwhile, sluiced through the mud to land the Hampton Novices’ Chase on this card 12 months ago. Only 1lb higher in the handicap than that day, Dan Skelton’s daughter of Saddler Maker looks to bounce back from an odds-on defeat by Pink Legend at Newbury races before Christmas.

The Classic Chase field could also contain last season’s Midlands Grand National hero Major Dundee for Alan King. Walsh isn’t the only Irish trainer with an entry, as Gavin Cromwell could send Cheltenham winner Malina Girl over. Welsh Grand National ante post betting favourite Monbeg Genius, who ran third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, is also in contention.

Classic Chase Entries

1. Any Second Now, 148 (Ted Walsh, IRE)
2. Monbeg Genius, 147 (Jonjo O’Neill)
3. Malina Girl, 146 (Gavin Cromwell, IRE)
4. Galia Des Liteaux, 142 (Dan Skelton)
5. Beauport, 141 (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
6. City Chief, 140 (Nicky Henderson)
7. Fontaine Collonges, 140 (Venetia Williams)
8. Ramses De Teillee, 139 (David Pipe)
9. Rapper, 139 (Henry Daly)
10. Fortescue, 137 (Henry Daly)
11. Guetapan Collonges, 136 (Charlie Longsdon)
12. Major Dundee, 135 (Alan King)
13. Broken Halo, 133 (Paul Nicholls)
14. Credo, 133 (Anthony Honeyball)
15. Percussion, 131 (Laura Morgan)
16. Dr Kananga, 125 (Ben Clarke)
17. Snipe, 124 (Dan Skelton)
18. My Silver Lining, 122 (Emma Lavelle)
19. Duc De Beauchene, 120 (David Pipe)
20. Animal, 118 (Suzy Smith)
21. Volcano, 118 (Sheila Lewis)