MONBEG DUDE, who won Saturday’s Coral Welsh National at Chepstow, is to be given jumping lessons by Zara Phillips.
Monbeg Dude made a number of clumsy errors before narrowly beating the favourite Teaforthree by half a length in Chepstow’s showpiece race of the year and clearly needs to brush up his jumping if he is to be seriously considered for the Aintree Grand National in April.
Bookies are offering odds of 20-1 about his Aintree chances.
The gelding is owned by Gloucester RFC player-coach Mike Tindall, his currently injured team-mate James Simpson-Daniel and their former sidekick at Kingsholm, Nick Robinson.
Since buying the horse for £12,000, the boys have won more than £85,000 in prize money.
Tindall joined his fellow owners for a celebratory drink on Saturday night, having played for Gloucester in their defeat by London Irish in the afternoon.
He told his chums that his wife Zara, a team silver medallist in eventing at the London Olympics this summer, has offered to help iron out Monbeg Dude’s jumping problems.
Winning trainer Michael Scudamore is only too happy about the arrangement, having already considered sending the horse to jumping guru Yogi Breisner.
“Monbeg Dude will go to Zara’s place at Gatcombe and have however long he needs with her,” said Scudamore.
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