Trish Dunell
Emily Farr hasn’t given up hope of landing a Grand National win this year.
The Cambridge jockey was favoured to win the Grand National Hurdles (4200m) on Wednesday aboard Waikato visitor Laekeeper after the pair combined to win the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) on the first day, but had to settle for second behind Jackfrost.
Now Farr is focussing on going one better in Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) on Kings Deep for Hastings trainer Paul Nelson.
“He went a good race in the Koral last Saturday for fourth,” she said. “The ground was a bit firm and, being a bit shorter in distance (4250m), I had to keep the pressure on.
“It’s going to be different in the Grand National. It’s going to suit him a lot better.”
Farr has ridden Kings Deep three times, including a win at Te Aroha and a fourth in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m).
Kings Deep has performed well at past Grand National meetings. The son of Viking Ruler won hurdle races on two days of the 2013 Grand National meeting and was second in the 2015 Grand National Hurdles.