The three-day Randox Health Grand National Festival at Aintree gets underway today.
Hollywood’s Neil Morrice previews the three Gr”1s taking place today – they include the Manifestio Novices’, the Bowl Chase, and the Aintree Hurdle.
The feature race of the meeting, the £1-million Randox Health Grand National, the world’s greatest and richest chase, takes place for the 172nd time at 18h15 on Saturday.
The festival will be broadcast live on Tellytrack, Dstv 239.
On the all important aspect of the going and a rumoured sabotage attempt on the course last Saturday, Andrew Tulloch, Clerk Of The Course said:
“It has been an odd winter, it has been dry, then it has been wet, now it has turned dry again. We started cutting the grass slightly earlier than usual, but it has levelled off now.
“We are pleased with where we are. We started watering a week ago and there is plenty of moisture there, but I will see where we are in the morning.”
Tulloch went on to discuss the damage caused to the course after a car drove onto it on Saturday, before leaving tyre marks on the track and damaging elements of the railings near the Melling Road part of the track.
He commented: “It is superficial damage to the turf, particularly after the 12th fence of the Grand National Course, and the guys have done as much repair work as we can. It is just an unfortunate incident. We have passed all our information over to the police and they are looking into the matter.”
Tiger Roll Again?
The ever-impressive Tiger Roll, who narrowly clung on to victory 12 months ago, is likely to go off one of the shortest-priced favourites for the race in history.
Can Tiger Roll win again?
Plenty of punters will believe a 7-2 shot in a race such as the Grand National is ridiculous as anything can happen. He brings the best form into the contest and, as we saw in Saturday’s Lincoln at Doncaster where Auxerre was sent off at 5-2, sometimes it is best to stick to the simple option.
However, since 2000 only three favourites have come home in front, with two of those (Comply Or Die [2008] and Don’t Push It [2010]) holding joint favouritism.
The average price of the Grand National winner in the last ten years is 33-1.
If you look at recent Cheltenham Festivals you would be forgiven for thinking that jumps racing is dominated by four yards – Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls.
However, over the last ten years, no trainer has won the Grand National more than once. And out of the four main protagonists who fight out the Irish and British trainer’s titles between them year-on-year, only Elliott has won the race more than once.
It’s often wise to stick to the powerful yards, but the National is a different ballgame that requires a special type of horse.
Tiger Roll is the worthy favourite and has every chance of becoming the first horse to go back-to-back in the Grand National since Red Rum (1973-74) if his weight doesn’t hold him back.
SA Off – Times: Thursday, April 4
2.45pm Devenish Nutrition Manifesto Novices’ Chase (G1) 2m 3f 200y £100,000
3.20pm Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (G1) 2m 209y £100,000
3.50pm Betway Bowl Chase (G1) 3m 210y £200,000
4.25pm Betway Aintree Hurdle (G1) 2m 4f £250,000
5.05pm Randox Health Foxhunters’ Chase GNC 2m 5f 19y £45,000
5.40pm Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (G3) 1m 7f 176y £90,000
6.15pm Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NHF Race (G2) 2m 209y £45,000
TOTAL ON THE DAY £830,000
