National Hope Bill Up For Sale

Swing Bill, one of four David Pipe-trained horses set to take their chance at Aintree in the John Smith’s Grand National on April 14, has been put up for sale by owner David Johnson and could give his new owners the thrill of a lifetime when competing in the famous Aintree marathon in the spring, writes Elliot Slater.

It is every jumps owners dream to have a horse capable of running not just at Aintree but also at the Cheltenham Festival, and Swing Bill appears to tick both boxes having a number of entries at Cheltenham where he has run some very good races in the past, including winning at the home of National Hunt racing in November off a mark of 134 and last season when running a fine race to be a respectable seventh of the 20 runners behind Divers in the listed Centenary Novices Handicap Chase. Those following the latest online Grand National betting odds will be keeping a close eye on his preparations.

Johnson, who won the Grand National with Comply Or Die in 2008 and looks set to have at least two other runners in this year’s race including The Package, seems prepared to let Swing Bill go despite the fact that the French bred gelding showed a liking for the awesome spruce fences when running a good race to be fifth to Always Waining in the 2011 John Smith’s Topham Trophy. His one subsequent effort over the Aintree course came on his penultimate outing when the desperately heavy ground was against him and the grey was pulled up by Timmy Murphy when tailed off before the second from home.

On a better surface and off a light weight there are grounds for believing that the gelded son of Grey Risk would give his new owners quite a thrill, and he is currently on offer at a top price of 50/1.