Fiddling The Facts may miss National

Fiddling The Facts is far from certain to run in the Martell Grand National, her trainer, Nicky Henderson, warned yesterday.

Fiddling The Facts is far from certain to run in the Martell Grand National, her trainer, Nicky Henderson, warned yesterday.

Her price for the Aintree marathon was cut from 25 to 1 in to 20 to 1 by William Hill after she finished second in Saturday's Singer & Friedlander National Trial at Uttoxeter.

But Henderson does not want to over-race the mare, who was placed in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and Coral Welsh National previously this term, and is considering other targets.

"She has now had three pretty fierce races and she won't necessarily go for the Grand National," Henderson said.

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"The poor old thing has now been third in the Hennessy then second in the Welsh National and the National Trial - she deserves to win a big race.

"But she has been brilliant since the race and has eaten up - it must have been pretty tiring."

Fiddling The Facts had looked set to triumph on Saturday when left clear by the last-fence fall of the tiring General Wolfe, only to be caught on the run-in by eventual two-length winner Him Of Praise.