LEADING Irish trainer Tom Taaffe has booked Andrew Lynch for the ride on Treacle in the Grand National next month.
The 11-year-old was fourth in a veterans' race over park fences at Aintree in October, but it was his two subsequent efforts which marked him down as a major National player.
Treacle was only narrowly beaten in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown around Christmas, when Lynch was holding the reins, and then ran well to take third spot in the Irish Hennessy Gold Cup in February.
"Everything is going according to plan at this stage, we're very happy with him," said County Kildare-based Taaffe.
"Andrew Lynch will ride him. He was second on him in the Paddy Power over Christmas and we're delighted to have him.
"We're just under three weeks away from the race, so, hopefully, everything continues to go well between now and then.
"We schooled him over six fences the other morning. We set them up with the same dress code as the Aintree fences and all went well.
"We will make travel plans nearer the time, but we'd like to go over early enough so he has time to settle in."
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