GRAND NATIONAL NEWS

Nolan hoping for ‘dream’ National win

Paul Nolan says a Discorama victory in the Grand National at Aintree would be a “dream come true”.

Discorama is set to carry a racing weight of 10st 6lb for the showpiece on Saturday and is generally rated at around 18/1, with Cloth Cap the 4/1 ante-post favourite.

Nolan feels his proven stayer is “due a bit of luck” and the County Wexford-based trainer is hoping circumstances work in Discorama’s favour in the Grand National.

“He’s been placed at three Cheltenham Festivals, and he’s always off the pace that little bit – you need so much luck in running when you do that,” he said, as reported by Sky Sports.

“You need things to happen in front of you. You need to be very lucky – and unfortunately, so many times he just didn’t have that.

“He’s certainly a horse we’d love to get his head in front, but it’s not easy with the way he runs and the way he stays behind the bridle a little bit.

“You have to sit and suffer – we’ve tried different ways of running him, and they didn’t seem to suit him.”

He added: “You have your favourite races, and certainly the English National captures the hearts of millions of people.

“The horse that wins it becomes a household name for a certain bit of time. It would absolutely be a dream come true if he was able to win.”