Overseas Trainers Fill Grand National Field

[Wandering Eyes]

The Irish are coming, in droves. So are the English.

Money talks, and North America’s richest steeplechase race, the G1 $450,000 Grand National, caught the interest of overseas trainers who filled American-bound flights with entries for Saturday’s featured race of the 98th annual Far Hills Races.

Of nine entries for the 2 5/8-mile hurdle race, five will have trainers based in Ireland and England.

Gordon Elliott has been here before and won last year’s Foxbrook Champion Hurdle with budding star Zanjabeel (GB) (Aussie Rules), a two-time Grade 1 winner who is now sidelined with a tendon injury.

Elliott will have two starters for the Grand National, Rosbrian Farm’s and Meadow Run Farm’s Clarcam (Fr) (Califet {Fr}) and Sideways Syndicate’s Jury Duty (Well Chosen {GB}). Although unplaced in his two U.S. starts, the G1 New York Turf Writers Cup and G1 Lonesome Glory H., Clarcam possesses dangerous front-end speed and wired the €250,000 Galway Steeplechase Plate Aug. 1. Jury Duty was third in the Galway race.

Paddy Mullins, the storied Irish trainer, will influence the Grand National through his grandsons. Emmet Mullins will saddle his Tornado Watch (Ire) (Selkirk), a two-time winner over fences this year. Tornado Watch will be ridden by cousin David Mullins.

Danny Mullins, who won last year’s Grand National with Gillian Johnston’s Mr. Hot Stuff (Tiznow), will be aboard the owner’s Days of Heaven (Fr) (Saint des Saints {Fr}), who made his most recent start for Nicky Henderson before transferring into Jack Fisher’s barn.

British owner Robert Aplin is making his annual visit to central New Jersey and will try again with Hammersly Lake (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}), who was fifth last year for trainer Charlie Longsdon.

American interests are outnumbered but not necessarily overwhelmed. Fisher will saddle Harold A. “Sonny” Via Jr.’s Hinterland (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}), who made a nice run at Zanjabeel to finish second in the Belmont Park’s Lonesome Glory Sept. 20.

Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard will take another shot at the Grand National with Buttonwood Farm’s All the Way Jose (Senor Swinger), who was beaten two noses in third last year. The Sheppard-bred most recently finished sixth in Saratoga Race Course’s New York Turf Writers.

The first of owner Irv Naylor’s back-to-back Grand National and Eclipse Award winners was Dawalan (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}), who will be attempting a comeback after 17 months on the shelf. The 2015 Grand National winner is trained by Cyril Murphy.

In partnership with Monmouth Park, the Far Hills Races will offer pari-mutuel wagering for the first time, and live-streaming video will be available on the meet’s website, www.farhillsrace.org.

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