Paul Nicholls Grand National Horses What A Friend

What A Friend – Only an eight year-old and owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, trained by Paul Nicholls. Ran a cracker in the Gold Cup to finish fourth to Long Run, Denman and Kauto Star. There has been a substantial ante-post gamble on this horse and the ownership of the Manchester United Manager ensures this one will be popular. He is an improving sort who has proved he can mix it with the big boys. Has a great chance.

Trainer Paul Nicholls believes What A Friend has solid claims in next week’s John Smith’s Grand National provided the ground is not on the soft side a week on Saturday.

The gelding, co-owned by the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, booked his place in the Aintree marathon when fourth to Long Run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last time out but Nicholls says decent conditions are important to What A Friend, who had a breathing operation last year.

“The key to him is the weather staying dry and the ground not being too soft. We’ll have to see but if the ground is good I suppose he’s got a great chance,” the Ditcheat trainer told At The Races on Tuesday.

“Some of his better runs have been on better ground. He’s been crying out for good ground. At Haydock when he ran and the other time at Newbury it just didn’t suit him. He’s a brilliant jumper. Horses that struggle with their breathing on soft ground look ungenuine and don’t want to know. On better ground, he looked a better horse the other day [in the Gold Cup]. The ground is the key to him.”

Daryl Jacob has been booked to ride What A Friend while Harry Skelton is on Niche Market after Ruby Walsh opted to ride The Midnight Club for Irish trainer Willie Mullins.

“Harry won the Irish National on him, he’s ridden him a lot and that was always going to happen if Ruby rode The Midnight Club so that’s fine,” Nicholls added.

Nicholls revealed that he has yet to decide which of his jockeys will ride his two other possibles, Ornais and The Tother One. “I have to finalise it but Ryan Mahon will probably ride one and Nick Scholfield the other,” he added. “Those are the four entries we have but Ornais, having been off for a long time with leg problems, wouldn’t want the ground too quick. The more rain he gets the better.”

Walsh, meanwhile, said the decision to ride The Midnight Club was not one he took lightly. “It was a tough decision. I could have ridden Niche Market, What A Friend, The Midnight Club and Willie had several others and Paul had a few more as well,” Walsh told At The Races.

“You can only ride one and I just thought The Midnight Club was the most unexposed in the handicap of all the horses I could ride. He might lack a bit of experience, there’s probably plenty of reasons why people won’t fancy him. It’s great to have a ride in the Grand National and a fancied one at that.

“I’m looking forward to riding him. I think he’s got a good shout, but in the Grand National all you can hope for is to have a shout.”