Il Etait Temps pictured winning a Gr 1 in Ireland
The Hollywood Syndicate and Barnane Stud-owned Gr 1-winning chaser Il Etait Temps runs in a Gr 1 race at Aintree on Thursday this week in the opening race of the three day Grand National meeting (14H45 SA Time).
The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old runs in the Gr 1 Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase over two miles and four furlongs and Mullins’ number one jockey Paul Townend rides him for only the second time, having won on him in his chase debut last November.
Mullins said about Il Etiat Temps’ chances, “He moves up to two-and-a-half miles on Thursday. I don’t think he will have a problem staying, he’ll like the ground and I don’t anticipate any problems for him around Aintree. I think he has a good chance.”
Il Etait Temps is one of just five runners.
He is generally 3/1 with the even money favourite being the Dan Skelton-trained Grey Dawning, who won the Gr 1 Novices Chase over this distance at the Chltenham Festival.
