Cork Grand National: Gordon Elliot confident as Braeside bids to go back-to-back

Sunday: 3.13 Cork
Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase | 3m4f | 4yo+ | RTV

Gordon Elliott goes in search of back-to-back wins and a third success in five years with his five-strong team captained by last year's winner Braeside.

The bottomless ground brought out the best in Braeside 12 months ago. He marched merrily through the mud on the way to beating Screaming Colours by three lengths. That was off a mark of 133 but he has a 12lb higher mark to contend with here. Despite that, Jack Kennedy has stayed loyal.

Elliott said of Braeside: "It was always the plan to try come back here to try and win the Cork National again. He needs soft ground and a trip and he gets both here. You'd like to think he has a good chance."

It is almost six years since Glenloe won a race. That was a maiden hurdle at Navan way back in 2016 on the very same card that Samcro won a bumper.

"He's getting on in years but looks like he has a mark now that he should be well able to be competitive off on soft ground," Elliott said of the 11-year-old who gave Delta Work a mighty fright in the 2018 Pertemps Final.

On the rest of his team, he added: "Defi Bleu will come on for his return at Limerick, while Smoking Gun and Definite Plan both have the ability to win a nice staying handicap at some stage this season when things fall into place."

Spades Are Trumps was sent off 5-1 joint-favourite for this race last year but didn't relish the testing conditions and was pulled-up before three out. Gavin Cromwell is hoping it won't be so testing this time.

He said: "Spades Are Trumps stays well and we planned to have another go at this race. He was well fancied for it last year but it went bottomless."

Willie Mullins has not won the Cork Grand National since Our Monty in 2009, but will fancy his chances of ending that drought with either Kerry National runner-up Recite A Prayer or the novice Captain Kangaroo.

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