06 April 2023 , 17:25
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The connections of Roi Mage have gone back to France to choose a jockey for their Grand National hope after first choice rider James Reveley had to rule himself out due to injury.
Felix de Giles, another Engllshman based across the Channel, will take over on the 40-1 outsider, one of a handful of horses trained in Oldtown, Co Dublin by 81-year-old Patrick Griffin.
Reveley, the three-time champion jump jockey in France, hasn’t ridden since breaking his leg in February and has given up his race to be fit for next Saturday’s £1 million showpiece.
“James rode out one lot over the weekend and unfortunately has had to stand himself down again,” said James Griffin, Patrick Griffin’s son and assistant.
“I like to do things a little bit left-field and Felix was always going to be Plan B, He has ridden him before, as well as ridden in the Grand National and in the Becher Chase, and we wanted someone who could commit to the horse."
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Roi Mage, is owned by three of the owners of the Sue Smith-trained Auroras Encore who sprang a 66-1 shock when landing the Grand National in 2013.
The 11-year-old has won eight chases and finished second to Longhouse Poet, also Aintree-bound, over 3m2f at Down Royal in March.
“The horse is in great form’” said Griffin. “He was bought specifically for the Grand National, sourced by James Reveley for us. It’s what he has been trained for all year.
“It is the National. There are 40 tickets up for grabs for the lottery. We have one of the 40. He ran a cracker in Down Royal and would have come on for that. Granted luck in running we have a horse that should be crossing the Melling Road with every chance.”
Roi Mage went to the Curragh on Monday to school over specially built Grand National style fences.
Even Griffin Snr, who now delegates a lot of the day to day work to his son, was in attendance.
“Dad made a very rare appearance on the Curragh to oversee his last schooling session,” Griffin said. “He hadn’t been there since before Covid, but he is really enjoying the build-up to this.”