Nassalam and Caoilin Quinn won the Welsh National © Photo Healy Racing
Nassalam has the Welsh Grand National in his sights again this season and could return to the scene of his finest hour with an outing in the Native River Chase at Chepstow on Saturday.
The Gary and Josh Moore-trained chestnut won the Christmas showpiece by a runaway 34 lengths last season when coping better than any other horse with the heavy ground as only five runners finished.
His next port of call was the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he was pulled up four fences from home, before turning his attention to the Grand National at Aintree in April.
There he finished 18th under Caoilin Quinn, ending the season on a mark of 158 having started out rated 142.
Handicaps are still on the agenda for the first half of the season, however, with Nassalam holding an entry over nearly three miles at the Monmouthshire circuit at the weekend.
“He’s been very well, he’s in good old form but while he had a good season last season, it was a bad season in terms of his handicap mark,” said Josh Moore.
“We’ll see where he’s at when he starts back. He’s in good shape, we’ll start back and see, he’ll only be running if the ground is slow enough for him.
“The plan is the Welsh National, we’d like to get a couple of runs into him and then that’s the short-term target.
“Maybe they’re right about his mark but it was very circumstantial, it was very heavy ground (at Chepstow) and he won by a heavy ground distance, I don’t think many got round and that reflected the conditions that day.
“His rise was high enough so hopefully he can prove to be good enough, we will end up finding out.”
Towards the other end of the distance spectrum the Moore team have a nice prospect in Too Soon, a Too Darn Hot juvenile who won the Betfred Derby ‘Wild Card’ EBF Conditions Stakes when last seen.
The bay colt holds an entry for the Group Three Zetland Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday but is not guaranteed to start.
“He won really well last time, we’re not sure if he’ll run yet as it will depend on a few things,” said Moore.
“He seems in good form since he won at Epsom and it’d be good to run him once more before the season is out.
“With a horse like him there are not too many options now over his trip but he would appreciate the ground at Newmarket if it is slow so he may run – he’s in good shape.”
