Racing: Pressure on Aintree to resurrect National: Influential organisations add their weight to bookmakers' appeals for abandoned race to be restaged during May or November

THE EXECUTIVE at Aintree yesterday responded to the voices, principally attached to bodies that would benefit financially, calling for the Grand National to be restaged this year.

The organisers' answer was that an attempt to have another go would only result in an inferior version of the world's most famous, and now most notorious, steeplechase. Nevertheless, they are under pressure to relent as the influential Horseracing Advisory Council (HAC) joined the Levy Board and bookmakers in urging for the race to be run in May or during Aintree's November meeting.

'3 May has been suggested as an alternative date, but we couldn't guarantee to get the horses to take part or the BBC coverage,' Nigel Payne, of the Jockey Club, said. 'And where are we to get the money from?'

The HAC's chief executive, Kenneth Young, said: 'We would urge the Jockey Club to examine every possible way to stage the Grand National in 1993. They should leave no stone unturned. If it is not possible, it is very important that the reasons are made entirely clear.

'We recognise that it is difficult for trainers with National-type horses to re-prepare them. It is possibly more difficult to do so for November. But given the stature and prize-money of the race, nothing is impossible.'

But Payne said: 'As far as we are concerned, the decision is as it was on Sunday - based on the evidence of the trainers. If there are no horses, then we have no raw material. It would be a very low-grade handicap.

'We wouldn't be doing any favours to those horses that actually ran on Saturday, and we'd have the Scottish and Irish Nationals, the Whitbread Gold Cup and firm ground to contend with if we staged it next month. As far as we are concerned, the Grand National was the race 39 horses lined up for on Saturday. We cannot risk reproducing an inferior race.'

Peter Greenall, the Aintree chairman, yesterday wrote to all owners, trainers and jockeys who were involved in Saturday's void race, expressing his regret over what had happened. The course is close to completing the reimbursement of horses' travelling costs and jockeys' riding fees incurred by owners and trainers.

It will be interesting to see what effect the abandonment has on next year's attendance. On Saturday 50,942 turned up - and went away disgruntled - a drop from 55,383 in 1992.

But first there is the return of a horse that could stimulate the right sort of interest in racing. Zafonic, the top-rated two-year-old in Europe last year when he won all his four races, and already as low as evens for this year's 2,000 Guineas, makes his seasonal reappearance at Maisons- Laffitte today.

There are only three opponents for the Andre Fabre-trained colt, including his stable-mate and pacemaker Kashani. Defeat is unlikely - Francois Boutin's Kingmambo is the only credible challenger - and if Zafonic were beaten he would leave in his wake a huge gulf of disillusionment.

One of Zafonic's victims last year in the Prix Morny, Marina Park, is an intended runner in next week's Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket, but has been giving her trainer, Mark Johnston, some anxious moments.

The filly failed to sparkle in a racecourse gallop at Pontefract yesterday, only narrowly getting the better of her companion, Beware Of Agents.

Nick Gaselee was fined pounds 350 by the Jockey Club yesterday after a sample taken from his Kentish Piper at Warwick in January was found to contain the prohibited substance isoxsuprine.

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