Grand National: Longsdon bids for fairy tale with Snow Leopardess

Few horses will have run in the Randox Grand National with a back story quite like the one boasted by Snow Leopardess and trainer Charlie Longsdon believes his mare "ticks plenty of boxes" ahead of her bid for a fairy tale victory in the world-famous steeplechase at Aintree on Saturday 9 April.

Longsdon genuinely believed his mare's racing days were over a few years ago after leg problems, while Snow Leopardess gave birth to a filly by Sir Percy during a 794-day break while recuperating from a setback after victory at Auteuil in September 2017. Now, the galloping grey is the leading British-trained contender for the £1m race according to the bookmakers and just a 14-1 chance for Aintree glory.

The trainer said: “It is two and a half weeks away now so it is all a bit nerve wracking. She doesn’t fit all the stats. Not many greys, not many mares and not many mothers have won the Grand National!

“I think people have been looking into Weatherbys and finding out how many mothers have run in the Grand National. We think something might have done 100 years ago but not in recent living memory. She ticks plenty of boxes but doesn’t fit all the stats.

“We’ve been on a massive rollercoaster with her the whole way through. When she got her leg injuries and went to be put in foal by Sir Percy I honestly thought her racing career was over.

“Very few people bring a horse back after having a foal. I don’t know why, but they always say they are never the same.

“I thought that but my owner-breeder (Marietta Fox-Pitt) never thought that. Bringing her back was a massive thing and I know other people have had similar ideas since.

“She has brought us through huge highs and lows and emotions. She has won in France, in Ireland and in England. There is a hell of a thing behind her. She is that special to us.

“She is the potential housewives’ choice as there is that story and that excitement around here. It is nerves and excitement and it will be a sleepless week leading up to it.”

Longdson is fully aware of the challenge that Snow Leopardess faces in creating a slice of history, but he is confident she will have no problems seeing out the extended four-and-a-quarter-mile trip.

He added: “I’ve got no issues with her stamina whatsoever. Yes, it looked like she was tying up in the Becher Chase but that is because she had been in front for two and a half miles into a driving headwind and driving rain.

“The jockey said at the time, ‘I would have been gutted if we had got beaten as I had plenty left in the tank’ but she just got lonely’, so I’ve got no problems with the trip at all. She will relish the trip.

“My only worry is the speed at the start and is she quick enough to get into a nice handy prominent position?

“I won’t give any instructions to Aidan (Coleman, jockey) as he knows her inside out. I will say get her into a nice rhythm and enjoy it.”

Some horses never take to the unique fences but Longsdon is adamant that he always believed that Snow Leopardess would acquit herself well over them, despite her connections having slight reservations about the Grand National.

“I think we were always going to enter her," said Longsdon. "She seemed to love the fences (in the Unibet Becher Chase) and hopefully that will be the same in just over two weeks’ time.

“We always wanted to go there. I think her owner-breeder was a little bit wary more because of the size of the field.

“It is 40 runners and there is an element of luck in the race, though not quite as much luck as it used to be.

“It was only a very short lived question mark but we are all set and pretty keen to go now.”

Having had interrupted campaigns in previous seasons, Snow Leopardess has a full 2021-22 campaign, something Longsdon believes has helped significantly.

He added: “The difference is last season we were on the back of having two leg problems and we probably trained her slightly with the handbrake on.

“It took her until we went to Haydock where she was really fit enough. She takes a lot of work and we have had to give her a lot of work but this season we have been able to do that as we have been able to trust ourselves slightly more in the fact that she would stay sound.

“She went to her first run at Bangor as fit as a flea. She jumped great that day and then went on to the Becher.

“We were slightly concerned about her getting in off 145. I think she would have been fine looking back at it now, but we went to Exeter. It has been a good season for her.”

Snow Leopardess will continue her build-up to the Grand National with an away day over the Aintree-style fences at The Jockey Club’s training grounds at Lambourn tomorrow, a route which Longsdon chose before her outing in the Becher Chase.

He added: “She worked Tuesday and she goes to Lambourn tomorrow for a jump there (over Grand National style fences).

"I think Ben Pauling is bringing Kildisart to come and get a lead off us – hopefully that’s how it will remain as well! – and then we’ll do a good bit of work round Lambourn after she jumps and basically that will be most of her hard work done.

“The purpose of jumping the fences tomorrow is more a case of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.

“We went before she ran in the Becher. Aidan (Coleman) just jumped them the once that day, which is only two jumps, and then said, ‘that will do’ and I’d like to hope that is all it will be tomorrow. You never know because the Grand National fences are different.

“We did lots of schooling after the Becher Chase to make sure she is happy to attack them like we saw her do that day in the Becher.”

When it comes to previous runners in the race Longsdon has had little to shout about until now, but in Snow Leopardess he feels he has an altogether different contender from those he has saddled before.

He explained: “We have had Pendra run in it twice and get round. We had a faller at the first, Ely Brown, and Palypso de Creek fell at the fourth last when tailed off and Drop Out Joe was pulled up before the last.

“We’ve had horses get around but we have never had horses shorter than 50-1 really. If the ground had been drier then Pendra would have been alright.

“We are the favourite of the English but we have still got to beat the Irish. You never know. She is the one mare they will all be looking at as she jumped them so well last time.”

Snow Leopardess might be the centre of attention at present but in time Longsdon hopes that her legacy will live on through her daughter Red Panda, who will join his team for next season.

"The Fox-Pitts broke her in as a two-year-old and I've seen pictures of her schooing and jumping. Like all of their horses, they jump from a very young age hence the reason why they're such good natural jumpers.

Red Panda will comne into training this autumn with a view to maybe running aoin a bumper in the sproing. I’ve been told she's quite backwards so we’ll be in no rush."