Close relation to Grand National hero Many Clouds set for track bow at Wetherby

The legacy of the star-crossed Many Clouds looks set to continue as the popular Grand National winner's three-part sister steps onto the track for the first time at Wetherby on Wednesday.

Heavenly Clouds, who was bred by Aidan Aherne, sold to Gerry Hogan for €46,000 at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale in 2017.

She is the eighth foal out of the Bobbing Back mare Bobbing Back, herself unplaced on the track for Patrick Verling but a fine producer, with her progeny headed by the late Many Clouds.

The son of Cloudings won his bumper on debut for Oliver Sherwood and Trevor Hemmings before running in the Champion Bumper and Aintree Bumper.

He then won two of his starts over hurdles and was second in the Grade 3 Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown, but he was always going to flourish over fences.

It proved the case as Many Clouds won or finished second in his first four starts over fences, including when second in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase, while he was travelling well when being brought down in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his next start.

Many Clouds after his famous Grand National victoryCredit: Edward Whitaker

He started the 2014-15 campaign with a smooth success in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase before a memorable strike in the Hennessy Gold Cup.

The gelding landed the Grade 2 BetBright Cup Chase over the equally popular Smad Place but was unable to land a blow behind Coneygree in the Gold Cup.

However, he roared back to form with a famous victory in the Grand National, yet another success in the race for Hemmings.

He would win three more times following that Aintree triumph, including when outbattling Thistlecrack in the Cotswold Chase. He so sadly collapsed and died after that ultra tough and gruelling effort, although his memory is cherished with the Many Clouds Chase taking place at Aintree every season.

Heavenly Clouds is related to another smart sort in The Tullow Tank, a son of Milan who landed a brace of Grade 1s in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Future Champions Novice Hurdle for Philip Fenton.

She is set to face ten rivals including Lunar Discovery, a winner on her debut in May for James Moffatt and a Pether's Moon half-sister to hurdles scorer Bingoo; Mercian Omen, a Black Sam Bellamy half-sister to Grade 3 Sodexo Gold Cup winner and Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle second Pendra; and Nulli Secundus, a Califet full-sibling to bumper winner Emzara and from the family of another Grand National winner in Don't Push It.

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