Extreme patience: Newland playing long game as Abolitionist skips Becher Chase

Richard Newland knows what it takes to win the Grand National and in what amounts to an exercise in extreme patience he revealed on Monday he is plotting his way back to Britain's richest jumps race with a remarkably similar type to his 2014 hero Pineau De Re.

Abolitionist was ante-post favourite for this Saturday's Randox Health Becher Chase but will not run again until after the weights for the £1 million National are released, with his trainer keen to protect both the fragile ten-year-old and his mark.

He made a winning start for Newland when scoring over hurdles at Aintree last month by ten lengths and was a best-priced 8-1 for this Saturday's test over the National fences, but he was not among the forfeits on Monday.

Newland, whose Pineau De Re was a 143-rated 11-year-old when winning the National four years ago, has a remarkably similar type in the 145-rated Abolitionist, who turns 11 In January, was also bought from Ireland, and whose owners include John Provan, in whose silks Pineau De Re raced.

He said: "He's fine but we want to take a different approach. We're aiming for the National so it makes sense to back off now and give him a break."

Pineau De Re prepped for Aintree at the Cheltenham Festival and Newland could do the same with Abolitionist, although due to rule changes it will be in a chase rather than the Pertemps, in which Pineau De Re finished third.

"We'll wind him back up for the spring and we won't run him until the weights are out for the National," continued Newland.

"He's got to run in a chase due to the rule changes and it could be something like the Kim Muir but we'll work that out nearer the time.

"He's had a lot of time off over the years so we have to mind him a bit – he'd not cope with running lots of times in a season at his age, so we've got to nurse him to get him right on the day we want. He's had his issues so we don't want to over-race him."

Abolitionist is a general 33-1 shot for the Randox Health-backed Grand National, with the market generally headed by this year's winner Tiger Roll, who can be backed at 25-1.

Twenty-eight remain in the Becher at the five-day stage, with Don Poli heading the weights. Trainer Gordon Elliott said: "The plan is for Don Poli and Noble Endeavor to run in the Becher.

"I've been dying to run Don Poli for ages now as he's in great form, but the ground has been against him and he's needed the rain to arrive."

Definitly Red and last year's Grand National winner One For Arthur are among 13 entries for the Grade 2 Rewards4racing Many Clouds Chase later on the card.

Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news