Seddon invades for shot at Grand National Hurdle

At age 10, Seddon is having a career-best year over fences and hurdles.

Wins at two of the toughest meetings for European jumpers – Cheltenham in Britain in March and Punchestown in Ireland a month later – have been the highlights of the season.

By mid-summer, trainer John McConnell announced a lucrative goal for Seddon in the autumn – Saturday’s Grade 1 Grand National Hurdle at picturesque Far Hills Racecourse in New Jersey.

In recent months, Seddon has had two prep races in advance of the $250,000 Grand National at 2 5/8 miles.

The Grand National is the leading race on a seven-race program at Far Hills that includes six races over hurdles and one two-mile flat race. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Grand National drew a field of eight, with three notable domestic runners in Jimmy P, Merry Maker, and Snap Decision, and another tough Irish shipper in Salvador Ziggy.

Jimmy P was a game second in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Hurdle at 2 3/8 miles on Aug. 23 at Saratoga in his graded stakes debut. Trained by Keri Brion, Jimmy P led in the stretch but was caught late by Awakened and was beaten a length.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

A winner of 4 of 17 races on the flat and over obstacles, Jimmy P should have no difficultly with the Grand National distance. He won an allowance race at 2 3/4 miles outside of Nashville in May.

Merry Maker, fourth in the Sheppard, won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Hurdle at 2 1/2 miles at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting on Sept. 14 for his first stakes win in his seventh start. The lightly raced 6-year-old gelding has every chance to show more improvement in this tough field, the longest race of his career.

Snap Decision was second in the 2021 Grand National, but a disappointing sixth in a field of nine as the 6-5 favorite last year. Snap Decision, who tends to run near the front, has had erratic form this year.

A 9-year-old gelding trained by Jack Fisher, Snap Decision won the Grade 2 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle in Virginia in April in his first start of the year in May, but was later second in the Grade 1 Iroquois Stakes outside of Nashville in May and fourth of seven as the 1-2 favorite in the Lonesome Glory.

Salvador Ziggy should thrive at this distance. He was second of 23 in a competitive handicap hurdle at three miles at Cheltenham in March. Switched to fences in the summer, Salvador Ziggy won three consecutive minor chases in Ireland over the tougher obstacles before he finished second by 3 3/4 lengths in the $213,600 Kerry Grand National chase at Listowel on Sept. 20.

Salvador Ziggy was the 11-2 favorite in a field of 17 and carried 161 pounds, 15 more than the race winner.

Seddon, owned by the Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate, was given a late spring rest after a win in a handicap hurdle against 17 rivals at Punchestown in April.

Since his comeback, Seddon was fourth in a flat race at 2 1/8 miles on Aug. 24 at Killarney and a game second to Winter Fog in a hurdle at 2 5/8 miles on Sept. 11 at Galway, finishing 29 lengths clear of the third-place runner.

Though beaten, Seddon had a trial race that day that gives him an excellent chance to add an American victory to an already accomplished season.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.