Tasmanian trainer Michael Trinder rates Morsonique ahead of stablemate Nuvolari as his best hope of upsetting odds-on favourite Tarawera in Sunday's Grand National Steeplechase at Sandown.Trinder said 10-year-old Morsonique was a "a grand wet tracker" while 11-year-old Nuvolari prefers firmer ground as shown by his win in last Saturday's South Australian Grand National Steeple (3500m).Morsonique will certainly appreciate the heavy (10) conditions after rainfall of 31mm at Sandown this week."I th
Tasmanian trainer Michael Trinder rates Morsonique ahead of stablemate Nuvolari as his best hope of upsetting odds-on favourite Tarawera in Sunday's Grand National Steeplechase at Sandown.
Trinder said 10-year-old Morsonique was a "a grand wet tracker" while 11-year-old Nuvolari prefers firmer ground as shown by his win in last Saturday's South Australian Grand National Steeple (3500m).
Morsonique will certainly appreciate the heavy (10) conditions after rainfall of 31mm at Sandown this week.
"I think he's a real live chance. He's coming to the peak of his fitness. He needed the run when fourth to Juan Carlos at Sandown two starts back and then ran second to Tarawera in the Crisp at Warrnambool," Trinder said.
"He's just getting to the peak of his condition. He's getting down to a racing weight that will suit him.
"He's been far too big all preparation. He dropped probably 10kg over the last week and is getting back to where I had him last season when he won in Adelaide at his first jumping start.
"I think he's a genuine chance, but in saying that old Nuvolari keeps on raising the bar. At 11 years old he amazes me.
"Three starts back he was beaten 4-1/4 lengths when runner-up to Juan Carlos at Sandown but he was still making ground.
"The only negative with him is I don't think he handles real wet ground.
"But he reminds me of those old-fashioned steeplechasers years and years ago that just keep going and with the light weight - he's won eight jumping races now - he could surprise if anything goes wrong with the top two (Tarawera and Juan Carlos).
Trinder said there was a query over Morsonique at the 4530m as he's bred to be a sprinter-miler, but he clearly has a big opinion of the Miesque's Son gelding.
"I believe if I had him as a five-year-old as a jumping prospect instead of getting him as a nine-year-old - he's had 95 starts for 14 wins, 18 seconds and nine thirds - he would have been a grand horse," he said.
"He's a grand wet tracker. The wetter it is the better he gets but you wouldn't think he'd beat Tarawera in all fairness.
"We're really relying on the old stagers and Tarawera (a five-year-old) is the new kid on the block."
Trinder's son Adam, who won last year's Grand National Hurdle aboard Desert Master and will be attempting back-to-back victories on the grey on Sunday, will ride Morsonique while Gerard Gilmour will pilot Nuvolari.