Bowen plotting Al Co progress

Peter Bowen says Scottish Grand National winner Al Co will be given another run to prepare him for the English equivalent on April 11.

The 10-year-old surged to an impressive one-and-a-half-length victory at Ayr last April but is yet to make any impact so far this season, finishing last on his return at Haydock in November before being pulled up a few weeks later at Aintree in the Becher Chase.

However, despite his poor previous showings on Merseyside, a run in the Grand National has always been his main goal for the season and Bowen says he is planning to give him another go over hurdles in the next few weeks to make sure he is ready for the April 11 spectacular.

“He is going to have a spin in the next three weeks,” the trainer is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “It might be over hurdles but I have not quite decided yet.

“We have trained him especially for the Grand National. Everything has gone to plan and exactly how I expected.

“He’s a horse that is best fresh, and that is why he had quite a big break before he won the Scottish Grand National.”