The 2010 John Smith’s Grand National winner Don’t Push It caught the eye in the opening race on Newbury’s rescheduled Totesport Trophy card on Friday, staying-on well from off the pace to finish on the heels of the leaders in a competitive three-mile handicap hurdle, writes Elliot Slater. 

In the week when the official weights were published for the Aintree marathon and last year’s hero was saddled with joint-top weight of 11st 10lbs, trainer Jonjo O’Neill began the preparation of the 11-year-old in earnest, sending him to the class 3 Newbury contest under amateur pilot Alan Berry, (who claimed 3lbs), as champion jockey Tony McCoy who partnered the horse to his famous Grand National success last April, was claimed to ride owner JP McManus’s apparent first-string Cappagh (finished unplaced), for Philip Hobbs. 

Having only his second outing since Liverpool last year and his first since pulling up in a Cheltenham handicap hurdle back in December, the Old Vic gelding was sent off the 40/1 outsider of the field but really caught the eye down the home straight, staying-on strongly from the second last to press for a bunch finish for fifth place. The outing should have brought O’Neill’s charge a step closer to being just where he needs to be for Aintree in seven weeks time and anyone with a Grand National free bet to place should take note of the run.

No horse has run back-to-back runnings of the Grand National since the legendary Red Rum in 1974, and under a very big weight it is asking a great deal of Don’t Push It to follow-up. Comply Or Die and Hedgehunter have both run gallant races in defeat but not managed to get their head in front, but that hasn’t stopped some firms reacting to Don’t Push It’s Newbury effort by cutting him from 20/1 to 16/1 co-second favourite for the Aintree spectacular.