KEY POINTS:
Former New Zealand jockey Brett Scott is confident Forest Knight can turn the tables on both Some Are Bent and Hasta Manana in tomorrow's Grand National Hurdle at Sandown.
Forest Knight, prepared at Rosebud in Victoria by Fran Houlahan and her partner Brian Johnston, was runner-up to Some Are Bent in the L V Lachal Hurdle (3450m) when making his jumps debut at Sandown on June 2.
At his next start Forest Knight went down narrowly to Hasta Manana in the Australian Hurdle (3400m) at Sandown on June 16.
Because the Charnwood Forest 6-year-old hasn't won over the jumps, handicapper Alan Painter admitted he couldn't give him more than the minimum 62kg in the A$250,000 ($275,000) Grand National (4250m).
That means topweight Some Are Bent (68kg) meets Forest Knight 3kg worse for their only meeting when he scored by 2 3/4 lengths while Hasta Manana is 2kg worse off for beating Forest Knight by half a neck.
Forest Knight was considered unlucky on both occasions, losing ground after a faulty jump at the top of the hill in the Lachal and clipping the heels of Pure Malt and being hampered in the Australian.
"He got too far back at his first run and got held up in the Australian," Scott said.
"I got put into a pocket and had to go back and look for a run and another horse took his running.
"It's his first season of racing over the jumps but he's been aimed at the National and I think he's well and truly up to it."
Scott is after his second win in the race after riding Nautilism to victory in 2001.
A win by Forest Knight would be an emotional one for Houlahan whose father, the legendary Jim Houlahan, died in April this year. Jim Houlahan won the race a record seven times.
Trainer Robert Smerdon has named Forest Knight as the horse for Some Are Bent, who is chasing his seventh straight win over the jumps, to beat tomorrow.
The last horse to win the Grand National Hurdle with more weight than the 68kg Some Are Bent has to carry was Hip Flask who shouldered 69.5kg in 1992 to make it eight straight jumps victories.
Since 1957 only three horses have carried 68kg or more to victory in the Grand National Hurdle, the others being Sir Agrifo (70kg) in 1989 and Sharp As (69.5kg) in 1990.
This year's race, which has attracted 11 runners, is full of depth with the 2005 winner Enzed, 2005 Lachal Hurdle victor Anyone We Know, last Saturday's Ted Best Hurdle winner Pay The Aces and Australian Hurdle placegetter Pure Malt among the better chances.
Robbie Laing, who trained the winner Busby Glenn and runner-up Sir Pentire last year, will be chasing the quinella again with Hasta Manana, to be ridden by last year's winning rider Bill Williams, and Pantani.
AAP
