Tuesday 27 January 2015 09:58, UK
Tom George may try to turn the anguish of a narrow defeat at Cheltenham into a possible triumph at Aintree for veteran chaser Big Fella Thanks.
The Slad trainer is thinking of aiming the 13-year-old at the Crabbie's Fox Hunters' Chase at Aintree in April after he was touched off by Annacotty on Saturday.
Had Big Fella Thanks held on, then he would not be qualified to go down that route.
The horse has tackled the world famous fences on Merseyside seven times, with arguably his best performance coming in the Grand National in 2010 when he was fourth to Don't Push It.
"He's come out of that well. It was heartbreaking, but what I am happy about is that he thought he'd won. He couldn't see the other horse coming. We just felt it more than he did," said George.
"We haven't ruled out the hunter chase route with him. He will probably go off for a couple of days hunting anyway as he enjoys a day out.
"If he had won that race on Saturday we would not have been able to do that, but because he got beat we still can.
"We have to think about the Fox Hunters' at Aintree. That's his forte over those fences. Two-mile-five round there, he'd love it and I don't think anyone will begrudge him going that way."
