Noel Glynn’s John Smith’s Grand National candidate Becauseicouldntsee faces a desperate race against time to be fit and well in time to take his chance in the Aintree marathon after undergoing surgery on a hind leg that was damaged after his most recent outing when finishing second at Leopardstown, writes Elliot Slater.

The eight-year-old Beneficial gelding (generally on offer at 25/1 for the Grand National in the ante-post lists), sustained a cut to his hind leg that later became infected when some bony tissue grew over the wound. Glynn, who was not initially concerned by the injury, then took the decision to have the wound treated with surgery, but there has to be a big doubt as to whether he can recover full fitness in time for the big race on April 9 and anyone looking to place a Grand National bet should remember this.

It would be a big shame if Glynn’s talented stayer was to miss his chance as he ran a cracker at Leopardstown to be second to the useful Majestic Concorde in the valuable Paddy Power Chase, a performance that marked him out as a serious candidate for Liverpool. Generally a very sound jumper, Becauseicouldntsee had ended last term with a great effort in finishing a brave second to Poker de Sivola in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, after which connections hatched the plan to bid for the Grand National with the still relatively unexposed young horse.

Glynn believes his charge has a 50-50 chance of recovering in time to make the big race, pointing out that despite the injury the gelding never missed a day’s work and retains good basic fitness. He had originally planned to have a run at Cheltenham, but now, if all goes well with the recovery, Becauseicouldntsee will go straight to Aintree without a prep race.