Aintree Grand National News: Lavelle hoping for sizzling run from De Rasher Counter
- Tom Reed
- 4 April 2022
De Rasher Counter is a must-back in the Randox Aintree Grand National for bacon fanatics. The 10-year-old won the Ladbrokes Trophy in 2019 and goes into the big one with more than a streaky chance.
Emma Lavelle insists her De Rasher Counter is no streaky chance in the Randox Grand National and is one to back, as the bacon themed runner prepares for the big one on Saturday, April 9.
Lavelle is hoping it won't be a case of out of the fying pan and into the fire for the 10-year-old who returned from 489 days at Newbury in February.
The Yeats gelding had fulfilled some of his promise when winning the Ladbrokes Trophy in 2019 but then sustained a tendon injury, leading to a long layoff.
But Wiltshire trainer Lavelle has her fingers crossed that the Ladbrokes Trophy form stands up and De Rasher Counter, owned by the Makin' Bacon Partnership, can put in a sizzling showing in the Grand National on Saturday.
She said: "He's great, absolutely super. He's had a great prep and he's been away and had a nice gallop and we've schooled away from home with him so we couldn't be happier.
"He had a tendon injury and the funny thing is the National has always been a race that we thought would suit him and it meant we could give him lots of time to get over the tendon injury and we did a lot of roadwork at the start of the year.
"Adam Wedge had him up and down hills at home in Wales and then he came back to us. The Denman Chase was the perfect prep run for him and that fitted the qualifications. That got him back and gave us a lovely amount of time afterwards to hopefully get him spot on for Aintree.
"It was beautiful ground at Newbury and it was our Gold Cup horses having a run against each other. De Rasher Counter travelled with them and jumped brilliantly and was still there to the back of the second last when he took a bit of a blow. That was great and then Tom (Bellamy) looked after him after that. He finished fourth and we were delighted with him.
"He's on the same mark that he was on when he won a Ladbrokes Trophy with 149. Every horse has got to take to the fences and get some luck in-running, but we'd be very happy with how everything has gone to this point. He's got as good a chance as any really."
"I can only imagine what the day would be like if he went and won."@ELavelleracing looks back on De Rasher Counter's career so far and explains what it would mean for him to win the 2022 Grand National. pic.twitter.com/C2fvm9Arw2
— bet365 (@bet365) April 3, 2022
