Time for Oscar to shine on the big stage

Summerhill native Martin Lynch, now firmly ensconced at the former training establishment of Barney Curley, Middleton Park near Castletown Geoghegan in Westmeath, will bid to land the world-famous Aintree Grand National next Saturday with the lightly-raced 10-year-old Oscar Time. The 10-year-old has won four times, but more importantly has finished in the first four on 23 of his 28 starts. On the only occasion that he failed to finish, he was in the lead when falling at the last in Limerick two years ago, a race that was won by last year's Irish National winner Bluesea Cracker. Oscar Time is currently available at around 10/1 or better for the big race and his trainer received a boost last week when he made the long journey to Cork last Thursday and won the bumper with Maple Lady which provided his son, Mark, with his first winner on the track. The trainer had not visited the winners' enclosure since Oscar Time landed the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown in December 2009. Following that victory, Oscar Time finished second in last year's Grand National at Fairyhouse for Robbie Power behind the aforementioned Bluesea Cracker which will run next Saturday for new owner JP McManus. A change of ownership followed with Englishman Robert Waley-Cohen keeping Oscar Time at his Westmeath base where Lynch trains about a dozen horses since he gave up a riding career in England in 1993. Lynch has had only one runner in England and that was over a decade ago when Colonel Yeager finished fourth in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham while two rides in the Aintree race resulted in a fall and a 10th place finish on Cool Ground. There will be plenty of local interest in Saturday's big race with Barry Geraghty likely to partner Northern Alliance for trainer Tony Martin. Ashbourne jockey Andrew Lynch will ride Vic Venturi in the big race after Notre Pere was withdrawn due to ground conditions. Power won the race in 2007 with Silver Birch and will ride Killyglen while Gordon Elliott will have Backstage as his main contender while Kilmessan native Adrian Maguire will be looking to Golden Kite for a big run.