The concentration of power in the hands of a few is not unique to SA Horseracing. Red Rum won three Grand Nationals in the 70’s from Ginger McCain’s yard at the back of a second-hand car showroom in Southport. On Saturday the trainer of the favourite Tiger Roll will saddle 13 of the 40 runners.
It’s happened right here on our own doorstep. Economics and the realities of modern day life may have soaked up oodles of the romance and drama since the crazy days of the 70’s when Red Rum crossed the 30 odd barriers over 4½ miles to win the National three times.
Now it’s about return on investment and wielding the power crop with the big yards and their cheque book owners dominating the show.
Former jockey and County Meath based Gordon Elliot was the youngest ever trainer to win the Grand National when Silver Birch won in 2007. Last year he saddled the Gigginstown House Stud owned Tiger Roll for Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary, one of the richest men in Ireland.
On Saturday the favourite Tiger Roll bids to become the first equine warrior since Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals.
And as if to show that the 70’s are really nothing but a vague memory, Tiger Roll is also set to defend his unique position as the first ever horse to do the ‘double’ by winning The Virtual Grand National on Friday evening.
Tiger Rolls wins the 2018 Grand National
The gelding claimed success in the 2018 races in almost identical circumstances – a close finish on the virtual outing, driven by sophisticated CGI technology and algorithms – and then in a dramatic photo finish on Grand National Day.
An organiser asked – ‘Is this every punters dream – to tell the world hours in advance who will win?’
‘The winner of the first ever Virtual Grand National, Cause of Causes in 2017, came second in the real race hours later and almost won both races, but Tiger Roll was exceptional in the real and virtual worlds and it was uncanny how close the computer came to getting the finish so correct’.
‘We’re now keen to see if the simulation can continue its remarkable run fora third year straight and attempt to show the experts how it’s done once again’
Nick Luck once again hosts the sixty-minute special from the innovative Carm Productions led by former Granada Executive Rob McLoughlin.
Click on the image below to read the Sporting Post Digest
The broadcast will also feature The Grand National Race of Champions as 40 legends of the past compete over Becher’s Brook, The Canal Turn and Valentine’s in a race which could only happen in the virtual world.
The field features favourites or joint favourites – a position – which doesn’t always guarantee success and will include the Aintree favourite Red Rum beaten in last year’s battle by L’Escargot.
The Virtual Grand National and Race of Champions have been developed with Inspired Entertainment’s Manchester based animation team. They use past form, the views of a panel of experts and the going and weather conditions to assess the likely outcome, but the computer makes the final decisions.
‘Last year’s result was breathtaking’ said Steve Rogers of Inspired, ‘We were in disbelief for days afterwards. The races stand out on their own as sport and entertainment even without the extra ingredient of attempting to tell the nation where their favourite may finish.’
‘In 2017 the algorithm came up with six of the top ten finishers and the runner-up in the real race won The Virtual Grand National. In 2018 it selected six of only 12 finishers and the winner’.
The final (genuine/real life) field for Saturday
|
Horse
|
Age
|
Wgt
|
Rtg
|
Owner
|
Trainer/Jockey
|
|
|
1)
|
ANIBALE FLY (FR) TS
|
9
|
11-10
|
164 172(+8)
|
J P McManus
|
Tony Martin IRE/Barry Geraghty
|
|
2)
|
VALTOR (FR)
|
10
|
11-06
|
160 160(=)
|
Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
|
Nicky Henderson/Daryl Jacob
|
|
3)
|
TIGER ROLL (IRE) BL, TS
|
9
|
11-05
|
159 167(+8)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Davy Russell
|
|
4)
|
OUTLANDER (IRE)
|
11
|
11-04
|
158 157(-1)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Keith Donoghue
|
|
5)
|
DON POLI (IRE) P
|
10
|
11-03
|
157 150(-7)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Mr Patrick Mullins
|
|
6)
|
GO CONQUER (IRE) TS
|
10
|
11-03
|
157 157(=)
|
Paul & Clare Rooney
|
Nigel Twiston-Davies/Sam Twiston-Davies
|
|
7)
|
MALA BEACH (IRE)
|
11
|
11-02
|
156 155(-1)
|
Chris Jones
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Mr Jamie Codd
|
|
8)
|
MINELLA ROCCO (IRE)
|
9
|
11-01
|
155 152(-3)
|
J P McManus
|
Jonjo O’Neill/Richie McLernon
|
|
9)
|
LAKE VIEW LAD (IRE)
|
9
|
11-01
|
155 158(+3)
|
Trevor Hemmings
|
Nick Alexander/Henry Brooke
|
|
10)
|
PLEASANT COMPANY (IRE)
|
11
|
11-01
|
155 155(=)
|
Malcolm Denmark
|
Willie Mullins IRE/
|
|
11)
|
BALLYOPTIC (IRE)
|
9
|
11-01
|
155 152(-3)
|
Mills & Mason Partnership
|
Nigel Twiston-Davies/Tom Bellamy
|
|
12)
|
DOUNIKOS (FR)
|
8
|
11-00
|
154 154(=)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Jack Kennedy
|
|
13)
|
RATHVINDEN (IRE)
|
11
|
11-00
|
154 162(+8)
|
Ronnie Bartlett
|
Willie Mullins IRE/
|
|
14)
|
ONE FOR ARTHUR (IRE) TS
|
10
|
11-00
|
154 154(=)
|
Two Golf Widows
|
Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox
|
|
15)
|
ROCK THE KASBAH (IRE) P
|
9
|
10-13
|
153 153 (=)
|
Diana Whateley
|
Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson
|
|
16)
|
WARRIORS TALE TS
|
10
|
10-13
|
153 151(-2)
|
Trevor Hemmings
|
Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden
|
|
17)
|
REGAL ENCORE (IRE)
|
11
|
10-12
|
152 151(-1)
|
J P McManus
|
Anthony Honeyball/Mark Walsh
|
|
18)
|
MAGIC OF LIGHT (IRE) P
|
8
|
10-11
|
151 149(-2)
|
Ann & Alan Potts Limited
|
Jessica Harrington IRE/Paddy Kennedy
|
|
19)
|
A TOI PHIL (FR) TS
|
9
|
10-11
|
151 151(=)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Denis O’Regan
|
|
20)
|
JURY DUTY (IRE) TS
|
8
|
10-11
|
151 157(+6)
|
Sideways Syndicate
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Robbie Power
|
|
21)
|
NOBLE ENDEAVOR (IRE) P
|
10
|
10-10
|
150 148(-2)
|
Chris Jones
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Mark Enright
|
|
22)
|
MONBEG NOTORIOUS (IRE) V
|
8
|
10-10
|
150 150(=)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Sean Bowen
|
|
23)
|
RAMSES DE TEILLEE (FR) TS
|
7
|
10-09
|
149 154(+5)
|
John White & Anne Underhill
|
David Pipe/David Noonan
|
|
24)
|
TEA FOR TWO
|
10
|
10-09
|
149 149(=)
|
Jane Williams & Len Jakeman
|
Jane Williams/Lizzie Kelly
|
|
25)
|
MALL DINI (IRE) TS
|
9
|
10-08
|
148 148(=)
|
Philip Reynolds
|
Patrick Kelly IRE/Sean Flanagan
|
|
26)
|
STEP BACK (IRE) P
|
9
|
10-07
|
147 147(=)
|
Cracker and Smodge Partnership
|
Mark Bradstock/Nico de Boinville
|
|
27)
|
ULTRAGOLD (FR) TS
|
11
|
10-07
|
147 146(-1)
|
Brocade Racing John Romans Terry Warner
|
Colin Tizzard/Tom O’Brien
|
|
28)
|
BLOW BY BLOW (IRE) BL, TS
|
8
|
10-06
|
146 143(-3)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Andrew Ring
|
|
29)
|
UP FOR REVIEW (IRE)
|
10
|
10-06
|
146 146(=)
|
Andrea & Graham Wylie
|
Willie Mullins IRE/
|
|
30)
|
SINGLEFARMPAYMENT H
|
9
|
10-06
|
146 145(-1)
|
Neal Griffith & Heather Haddock
|
Tom George/Paddy Brennan
|
|
31)
|
VIEUX LION ROUGE (FR) TS, P
|
10
|
10-06
|
146 142(-4)
|
Prof Caroline Tisdall & John Gent
|
David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
|
|
32)
|
VALSEUR LIDO (FR)
|
10
|
10-06
|
146 140(-6)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Henry de Bromhead IRE/Rachael Blackmore
|
|
33)
|
VINTAGE CLOUDS (IRE)
|
9
|
10-04
|
144 149(+5)
|
Trevor Hemmings
|
Sue Smith/Danny Cook
|
|
34)
|
GENERAL PRINCIPLE (IRE) TS
|
10
|
10-04
|
144 144(=)
|
Gigginstown House Stud
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/J J Slevin
|
|
35)
|
LIVELOVELAUGH (IRE)
|
9
|
10-04
|
144 143(-1)
|
Susannah Ricci
|
Willie Mullins IRE/
|
|
36)
|
WALK IN THE MILL (FR)
|
9
|
10-04
|
144 142(=)
|
Baroness Harding
|
Robert Walford/James Best
|
|
37)
|
FOLSOM BLUE (IRE) TS, P
|
12
|
10-04
|
144 142(=)
|
Core Partnership
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Luke Dempsey
|
|
38)
|
CAPTAIN REDBEARD (IRE)
|
10
|
10-03
|
143 144(+1)
|
Stuart Coltherd
|
Stuart Coltherd/Sam Coltherd
|
|
39)
|
BLESS THE WINGS (IRE) P
|
14
|
10-03
|
143 143(=)
|
Adrian Butler & Stephen O’Connor
|
Gordon Elliott IRE/Robert Dunne
|
|
40)
|
JOE FARRELL (IRE)
|
10
|
10-02
|
142 145(+3)
|
Mark Sherwood, Nigel Morris & Rebecca Curtis
|
Rebecca Curtis/Adam Wedge
|
