'What he brought to the family was incredible' - Christian Williams has faith in 'very special' Kitty's Light for Grand National

Christian Williams has described Kitty’s Light as a “very special horse” and says he wouldn’t be surprised if last season’s Scottish National and bet365 Gold Cup winner ran a massive race in next week’s Randox Grand National at Aintree.

Williams was speaking to the Racing Post for an emotional interview in Sunday’s newspaper in which he talks about his Grand National dream in the midst of an ongoing family nightmare, opening up about their ordeal in dealing with six-year-old daughter Betsy’s cancer diagnosis.

Through the trauma, Kitty’s Light has been a ray of light, as Williams explained: “What he did for us last season, what he brought to the family, was incredible."

He said: "Last year everything just came together. I don't know if he got a bit stronger or more confident, but it all went right for him and he showed he can do it wherever you send him, over smaller fences or bigger fences, so we'd have to be hopeful he'd be happy enough at Aintree.

"He's not the kind of horse that will make up lengths in the air, but that's not his fault, because he probably shouldn't be running over jumps. It's only us that decided to do that. We bought him as a yearling from a Flat sale and he's not a strapping National Hunt horse, but he's got a good mind, has loads of experience in nice races, and some horses are just survivors." 

Kitty's Light (right): won the Scottish National and bet365 Gold Cup last springCredit: Edward Whitaker

This season, Kitty's Light has had three unremarkable runs over hurdles, to stop his chase mark going too low to make the cut at Aintree, and there have been two runs in chases, the second of them a respectable seventh of 21 on heavy ground in the Ultima at Cheltenham. Williams, who finished second in the National as a jockey on Royal Auclair in 2005, is confident of a bold show.

"I'm trying not to get too carried away," he said. "He's had a lot of big days in a short career, he's travelled a long way, seen big crowds and run in a lot of big fields. It's not quite the jumping test it was, so I think he'll be all right over the fences, and he's a very special horse. Everything has been geared towards Aintree this season and I wouldn't be surprised if he ran a massive race."

Read more from Christian Williams in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

Read more . . .

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Paul Nicholls outlines his dream three for Aintree with Grand National meeting a huge moment in trainers' championship race 

'For Kitty's Light to win those races gave us a big boost' - Christian Williams on tough times and his unique training approach 

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