Racing: SMARTY PARTY TIME

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Nov 25, 2001 | by GARY NUTTING

SMARTY (2.40), runner-up in this year's extraordinary Grand National, can gain compensation for his heroic efforts back at Aintree today.

Mark Pitman's gelding took to the famous fences like a duck to water, but got tired in the bottomless ground and came home in his own time behind Red Marauder. He showed he was none the worse for those exertions when making a winning reappearance over hurdles at Plumpton this month.

That was the ideal sharpener for this race and the Pitman camp is confident of a big run, given Smarty's proven jumping ability and preference for this better ground.

The televised action kicks off with a novices' chase over the Mildmay fences, with Strong Magic (1.35) fancied to follow up his win at Huntingdon.

The nine-year-old has been slow to realise his potential, but there were signs before that victory that he was getting his act together.

He is potentially well-handicapped as a result and won with such authority at Huntingdon that he is fancied to make the most of his low weight in this better-grade event. Kings Castle (2.05), on the other hand, has wasted little time in fulfilling his promise, having made it three wins from five starts a fortnight ago.

Ron Hodges' six-year-old made mincemeat of more experienced rivals under a big weight at Wincanton and is expected to make light of a modest rise in the ratings.