Jury Duty Courts Second Straight Grand National Score

Year by year, international participation in Far Hills Races' Grand National (NSA-1) has been growing. 

In 2016, two overseas-based horses made the flight to New Jersey and participated in America's richest steeplechase race.

In 2017, the number increased to three, although they were thoroughly dusted by their American opponents. Last year, the number increased to five, and the international shippers, both Ireland-based, accounted for the top two spots.

This year, the Grand National is worth $450,000, with a $270,000 first prize, and the invading contingent has grown to seven—a majority of the 13-member field for the 2 5/8-mile run over National Fences Oct. 19.

Returning for a second bite of the Grand National largesse is Sideways Syndicate's Jury Duty, who won last year's race by 3 1/4 lengths for top Irish trainer Gordon Elliott. No stranger to American racing and with strong ties to U.S. owners, Elliott also entered The Storyteller.

Both will have their work cut out for them. Jury Duty skipped the winter season and had a victory in an allowance steeplechase in his comeback race in March, but he lost his rider in the Grand National at Aintree and has not made any impression since.

The Storyteller carries the highest rating of the overseas contingent but has not won in 18 months and was thoroughly beaten in his previous outing, Gowran Park's PWC Champion Chase Oct. 5.

Wicklow Bloodstock's much-accomplished Wicklow Brave is riding a three-race win streak for another top Irish trainer, Willie Mullins, and very likely will be the horse to beat in the 118th running of the Grand National.

He is a group 1 winner on the flat—the 2016 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger. This year, he was beaten a nose in the Cheltenham Festival's Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and finished third in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in May.

Mullins, also no stranger to American jump racing, then sent Wicklow Brave over the taller chase fences, and his three wins include the Guinness Open Gate Brewery Steeplechase at Galway Aug. 1. The 10-year-old's earnings exceed $1.3 million.

The American contingent is led by Bruton Street-US's Scorpiancer, the 2017 Eclipse Award winner who was on the sidelines for almost two years before returning this spring and winning the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle (NSA-1) for a second time. 

Trained by Jack Fisher, who is far in front in his quest for his eighth straight champion trainer title by wins, Scorpiancer prepared for the Grand National with a lackluster fifth-place finish in Belmont Park's Lonesome Glory Handicap (NSA-1) Sept. 19.

Also in the Grand National field is Wendy Hendriks' Surprising Soul, who scored a breakout victory in the Lonesome Glory. Trained by Ricky Hendriks, the owner's son, Surprising Soul was beaten only a length by Scorpiancer in the Iroquois May 11.

Jonathan Sheppard, the dean of American steeplechase trainers, is bringing back Hudson River Farms' Iranistan in a tough spot. Now 5, the Einstein gelding roared through his first starts over fences in the spring of 2018 and finished second in Saratoga Race Course's A. P. Smithwick Memorial Hurdle Stakes (NSA-1). 

He finished third in Saratoga's New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap (NSA-1), again as the betting favorite, and went to the sidelines. He has not raced in almost 14 months and finished second in a Shawan Downs training flat race Sept. 28. 

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