Edge handed French target
Ferdy Murphy is hoping Joes Edge will be fit for the French Gold Cup next month after suffering cuts to his hind legs in the John Smith’s Grand National.
Last season’s Scottish National hero battled on into seventh place behind Numbersixvalverde at Aintree despite a nasty experience at the 19th fence.
“Joes Edge was in the wars a bit. He hit the 19th very hard when Clan Royal made a bad mistake and he flipped back into the ditch and caught his back legs on it,” said the West Witton trainer.
“He seems fine and has gone out for a walk today so hopefully he’ll be OK.
“He gashed both his hind legs. Davy (Russell) did fantastic to stay on him. He backed off the big ditch, the third past the stands. He got his front part over it but caught his two hind legs in the solid part of the fence and gave himself a right bashing. It cost him quite a bit.
“Davy said he was never travelling after that and he’d been going great up to there. He’s run a great race on that ground and he’s a hardy so and so. He may go for the French Gold Cup at Auteuil at the end of May.”
Joes Edge holds entries in the Betfred Gold Cup and the Scottish and Irish Nationals later this month, but plans to run in any of those races will be scrapped.
“They all come too soon for him after Saturday,” he continued.
Murphy reported his other Grand National runner, Haut de Gamme, to have come out of the race in good shape.
“He’s perfect. He lost a shoe at the water and Keith (Mercer) said he started changing his legs after there and he fell four fences later. He’s fine and there’s not a bother on him,” he said.
“There’s a possibility Haut de Gamme will go to Punchestown for the cross-country race (the Blue Square La Touche Cup).”
