Our columnist @WattyRacing has gone through all the Grand National runner with a fine comb, and he has picked out three which stand out to him.
It’s one of the most highly anticipated events of the national hunt season which doesn’t involve seeing any racing but instead it’s when the great and the good turn up in Liverpool (my invite must have got lost in the post!) to see the unveiling of the 2020 Randox Health Grand National which is run at Aintree on Saturday 4th April at 5.15pm.
By now many of you will have seen the weights that BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood released to the racing world and while Michael and Eddie O’Leary have been vocal in having their opinions noted about Tiger Roll’s weight and handicap mark in bidding for a historic third win in a row, it does mean that value in the other horses is always sought after for this marathon steeplechase over four and a quarter miles.
103 horses remain going forward and after having a little perusal here are a few i think that are a worthy Grand National runner at the weights.
Henry De Bromhead potentially has one thrown in with Chris’s Dream who makes number 11 in the weights, three wins from six chases may mean he hasn’t enough experience but back in November he showed big field chases hold no worry for him when he landed the 23 runner Troytown at Navan under Robbie Power, currently around 33-1 and at the moment with 11st on his back he looks like a horse whose been laid out for this race.
JP McManus is always a man to be feared at Aintree and with Ted Walsh doing the training both look to have a real live chance with the 8yo Any Second Now, around 25s he is a fairly experienced chaser and at the recent Dublin Racing Festival he was 3rd in the 24 runner 2m5f Handicap Chase, last season under top amateur Derek O’Connor he took the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival and weather Derek or Mark Walsh ride him will be for Ted to decide but he looks one to keep an eye on indeed.
One horse who majorly impressed me when i saw him was Kimberlite Candy from Tom Lacey’s yard when he was runner up behind Walk In The Mill in the Becher Chase back in December at Aintree, then he went on to pick up the very competitive Classic Chase at Warwick over 3m5f in which he stayed on very nicely showing that the extra 5f will be in range, about 20-1 in the current betting he should make the cut despite being 44th on the list.
Finally top dual Alan King sometimes uses Aintree’s races at the National meeting for other purposes such as giving potential Chester Cup horses a pop over timber in the 2m4f handicap hurdle on Ladies’ Day but this time he has a live chance in saddling his first National winner with last season’s Bet365 Gold Cup winner Talkischeap, only sighted the once this season when trailing over thirty lengths behind Santini at Sandown in November he looks nicely weighted on 10st 11lbs here when you consider Santini is now a leading Gold Cup horse, he is around 33s for the former assistant of the late David Nicholson.
What price is your Grand national runner currently?
So there are my four to take out from the unveiling, all of us do want to see Tiger Roll line up and create history but a lot can happen between now and then, hopefully the owners see sense and realise what can be achieved come April.
