Grand National Hopes State Their Cases

Grand National Hopes State Their Cases

We are still a long way off from the 2019 Grand National, but already the Irish and British jumps season is in full swing and some candidates for the Aintree showpiece are starting to present themselves as part of the conversation. There has, of course, been a disappointment or two, leaving some owners and trainers scratching their heads, but there is plenty of time to make that up.

Below is a look at some horses who have made their cases in the early part of the national hunt season. As ever, there is no end of Irish horses in with a shout of Aintree glory, but not everything has gone to plan for last year’s winner, the Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll:

Sizing Tennessee

Consider the great names who have won the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase down the years: Mill House, Denman, Bobs Worth, Arkle. Effectively horse racing royalty, including a bona fide legend in Arkle. The latest name on that list of Ladbrokes Trophy winners is Sizing Tennessee, who very much looks the type to make an impression at Aintree. The odds of 33/1 (Betfair) suggest there may be work to do between now and then, but there are Grand National free bets available right now, so it might be worth using one on the untested Sizing Tennessee.

Definitly Red

What makes a great racehorse? One would argue that it is beating other great horses time and time again. Definitly Red has a wonderful record, winning more than half of his 27 races to date. However, when it has come to the crunch events, Definitly Red has come up short. The 9-year-old has been impressive so far this season, although a little luck has also come into play. 33/1 is offered by 888sport, but some bookies are as low as 20/1. Definity Red has appeared at the Grand National before, pulling up in 2017. But we might see a better, stronger and wiser horse in the 2019 event.

Walk In The Mill

On the eve of the last Grand National, Walk In The Mill was declared lame and missed his chance of taking part in this historic race. Last week, the 8-year-old finally made his Aintree debut last week in the Becher Chase. After an unsteady start, Walk In The Mill settled down and stormed to victory. There were some crucial takeaways though: Several of the defeated field are likely to line up for the 2019 Grand National. Walk In The Mill looked comfortable over the tricky Aintree fences and also looked at ease among a big field. Does that point to a potential Grand National winner? Well, the bookies have slashed the odds down to 33/1 (Paddy Power).

And some stumbles for the previous winners….

It’s been over 40 years since any horse (Red Rum) landed multiple Grand Nationals. The last two champions, Tiger Roll (2018) and One For Arthur (2017), have been in action already this season, but it hasn’t exactly gone to plan. One For Arthur, who was making a long-awaited comeback after a 20-month absence, threw his rider, Tom Scudamore, in the Many Clouds Chase which was won by Definitly Red. Tiger Roll, meanwhile, looked distinctly average placing 4^th in the Glenfarclas Handicap. It’s very, very early to make judgements though, and the bookies haven’t been too harsh on the odds. Currently, Tiger Roll and One For Arthur are found at 25/1 and 28/1 respectively with Betfair.