HENRY'S A REALLY GOOD FELLOW!

Paul Jacobs backs Aidan O'Brien's silver starlet to shine this summer

- Paul Jacobs

With a change of the wind and the level taking over from the National Hunt scene now seems a good time to put forward some thoroughbreds to follow at least through the first half of the Flat season.

Just before I do, a quick word on the Grand National which has sparked enormous debate since I Am Maximus flew home to victory in the big race.

I get it! Our PR needs to be spoton and the sport has to showcase the merits of the great race to the general public who were beginning to doubt its credentials as a genuine great sporting event - but have we turned the corner too far in making the great race just another ordinary long-distance handicap chase?

When I walked the track on the Friday of the meeting I was amazed at how diluted the fences were. The opening obstacle was no more than a schooling fence and when you see the re-run of the three races over the national fences the runners almost seemed to hurdle over the it.

Becher's Brook is no longer a stand-out challenge, moderate in size and nothing any fair jumper should even regard as a jumping challenge. And, although he had the best engine inside by far, that is the reason that the winner sailed into the sunset to victory with a performance bordering on Gold Cup class.

In my mind, two factors should always determine a National winner at Aintree: the ability to negotiate the toughest fences in the National Hunt game and the ability to see out the four-and-a-quarter mile trip. Both of these qualifications have been eradicated to an extent. If you don't want to under-compromise on the size and scope of the fences then at least return the race to four-and a-half miles to partly negate that dumbing-down of the race.

Now, here are four to follow on the Flat:

HENRY LONGFELLOW Aidan O'Brien