Sam Twiston-Davies gets all clear to ride in the Grand National

Sam Twiston-Davies, the 17-year-old son of the trainer Nigel, has been granted special dispensation to ride in next Saturday's Grand National. The race is restricted to jockeys who have had at least 15 winners, one more than Twiston-Davies has managed in his short career so far, but the British Horseracing Authority has used its discretion in light of the capability he has already shown. The news was welcomed by Twiston-Davies Sr, who intends to give his son the leg-up on Hello Bud, winner of last year's Scottish National at Ayr, in which Paddy Brennan took the ride. In the Aintree race, Brennan is expected to be aboard 40-1 chance Irish Raptor, named by the trainer as his best chance of a third National victory, following Earth Summit and Bindaree. Twiston-Davies, who caused an upset by landing last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup with Imperial Commander, expects to have a total of six runners in this year's National, though they will not now include Razor Royale. His owners have asked the trainer to find another target for the eight-year-old, who will be withdrawn at the next entry stage on Monday. The yard's other runners are likely to be Ballyfitz, Ollie Magern, Knowhere and Beat The Boys, who flopped when fancied at the Cheltenham Festival but was found to be suffering from a lung infection. He has since been treated with antibiotics and is said by the trainer to be in peak condition. Sam Twiston-Davies is an amateur rider who enjoyed his most important success at the Festival when winning the Foxhunter Chase on 9-2 joint-favourite Baby Run, also trained by his father. He was unseated from Hello Bud in the Welsh National in December.