A season after finishing out of the money in the Grand National Steeplechase, Flying Agent looks on target for the race at Ballarat.
Flying Agent took out the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) at Sandown on Sunday to show his preparation for the Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) on August 28 was a realistic target for the jumper.
The gelding finished sixth last year in the National after enduring a hectic jumps season having won the Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool earlier in the year.
But Amy Mcdonald has been steadfast in her determination to win the Grand National, bypassing the lucrative Warrnambool May Carnival to concentrate on Ballarat.
Ridden by Lee Horner, Flying Agent ($4.80) raced to a seven-length win from Yulong Place ($11) with the $4.20 favourite Valac a further 3-½ lengths away third.
“He really enjoys his job which is super important,” McDonald said.
“We haven’t been going that well with a lot of the others, they have been going fairly basic, but there’s always one that stands out from the crowd and keeps you going, and that’s him.”
Horner won the Grand National Steeplechase on Bee Tee Junior in 2020 but has been associated with Flying Agent through his campaign this season.
After two flat runs Flying Agent won the Thackeray Steeplechase at Warrnambool on July 2 before another flat run at Sandown last month.
Horner said Flying Agent was a different horse this preparation.
“Since he missed Warrnambool, Amy has aimed him at the National and he’s so relaxed,” Horner said.
“He walked out of the gates today, just flopped around until they came to the post the first time and then he got interested.
“It was a hard decision getting off Bee Tee Junior, the horse I won the National on and had a lot of luck with, but I was rewarded today.
“You don’t always make the right decision, but I did today.”
