Twig lets National dream continue for Pauling and Morgan family

Ben Pauling will work back from a second tilt at the Randox Grand National with Twig following his thrilling victory in the Becher Chase at Aintree.

Owned by Georgia Morgan and ridden by her son Beau, the 10-year-old finished 10th in the world’s most famous steeplechase in April and showed his liking for the fences once more when getting the better of a titanic tussle with Mr Vango by a short head on Merseyside.

Twig is now eligible for the £500,000 bonus put up by William Hill for winning a major Grand National trial and the big race itself, and Pauling is ready to roll the dice.

He said: “(Aintree) was a fabulous day for many reasons, but mainly for the Morgan family and Beau.

“He’s a horse that has just kept giving throughout his career. Everyone kept thinking ‘that will be the last time he wins off that mark’ and he just keeps finding another angle.

“I was delighted with the way he ran and jumped. He sort of has to have another go at the National now. It wasn’t necessarily what I was plotting at the start of the season because while he ran well in it last year, he didn’t look like he was ever going to trouble the judge, but he gets a free entry now and there is this £500,000 bonus.

“Looking back at the National last season, it was Beau’s first ride in the race, we rode him fairly quietly early doors and he didn’t lose any ground, he just wasn’t going to make it up.

“If he’s ridden a different way maybe he might be competitive. I’m not saying he’s necessarily the winner, but he’s obviously got a liking for the fences – he hasn’t made a mistake in a National or Becher – and he’d probably go in there a more fancied runner this time anyway.”

Twig completed an Aintree double for Pauling, with Taurus Bay earlier maintaining his unbeaten record in the novice hurdle.

The four-year-old has the option of returning to the track for the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle over the festive period, but his trainer is set to adopt a patient approach and has another horse in mind for that race.

He added: “I don’t think we’ll go back there on Boxing Day. He’s only four and he’s a fairly weak individual, but he’s a lovely, lovely horse for the future.

“He’d be more likely to go to Cheltenham on Trials day or the Sidney Banks (at Huntingdon) and then possibly have a tilt at the Turners (Novices’ Hurdle) or something like that.

“He doesn’t need to run again so quickly, I think the Formby would be soon enough for him, but I might look at it for Starmount. He won up at Wetherby and he’s a horse I like a lot.

“He had a very interrupted preparation and he’ll have improved a ton for the run. He came out of it like a bull, he’s a hardy five-year-old and I’d say the Formby would be right up his street.”