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Many Clouds Weighted To Win Another National
Many Clouds has a great chance to win back-to-back Grand Nationals and become the first multiple winner of the most famous race in the world since Red Rum. Don Poli could also achieve something rare in winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup and National in the same season. The big mover in the beating after the weights were announced this week is Holywell after the handicapper brought him right into the mix.
The Grand National is by some distance the most watched and bet on race in Britain. Once a year punters invade betting offices and ask shop staff if they need to put their name and address on their betting slip. Horses with topical names, bright colours and handsome jockeys are backed and in one year Sun readers could not get enough of Mister Snugfit! That horse sneaked into fourth place to reward each-way backers.
The race has changed significantly in recent years and most would say for the better. Ginger McCain would probably say the fences are too soft but he did train the winner of the race four times so is entitled to his opinion. The core of the fences has been softened but 30 of them still have to be jumped over four miles and three and a half furlongs. More horses generally don’t get round than complete so the race is still tough.
Phil Smith is the handicapper who frames the weights and enthused about the quality of this year’s entry when saying in the Racing Post:
“The strength in depth is fantastic. There are 55 horses between marks of 140 and 149, which is the highest ever, and 19 rated 155+, which again is a record. You want two things: you want the superstars at the top, obviously, but you also want depth among the solid middle-ground types. So, this year we’ve not just got depth, we’ve got the quality too.”
That quality is highlighted by the fact that the potential field contains two winners of the Gold Cup and King George none of which have been allocated top weight. That honour is bestowed on Many Clouds who is set to carry the maximum weight but that is still only one pound more that the horse carried when winning the National last year. Paul Nicholls believes Many Clouds has “a massive chance” of completing the double. Red Rum won the National in 1973, 1974 and 1977 and became a legend.
Many Clouds is arguably the best horse in the race and is proven over the course and distance. He won the Hennessey and National last season and was sixth in the Gold Cup. Recent National winners from lower in the handicap have been weighted out of subsequent races but Many Clouds was racing from the upper echelons of the card last year and has gone up by what was feasible. Leighton Aspell rode him at Aintree last season and also won the race on Pineau De Rea in 2014.
Don Poli could have been joint top weight according to the handicapper but has been given one pound less. That assessment is based on him beating Many Clouds by four lengths at Aintree in December getting five pounds. In theory at level weights Many Clouds would beat Don Poli by one length so the weight difference means they should be dead heat winners of the National.
Don Poli has been identified as a horse with the attributes to win the Gold Cup and National. Only one horse has won both races in the same season, Golden Miller in 1934, and Don Poli is prominent in the betting for both races. If he did win at Cheltenham his price would be slashed for the National and his weight allocation would become a gift. However, the horse is more about potential than actual achievement and the three week gap makes winning the Gold Cup and National a massive challenge.
Holywell was all over the Racing Post this week and Sir Anthony McCoy endorsed his chances in saying: “I do think Holywell has a very good chance. If he’s in the right frame of mind he’s a very capable horse. He also performs better at that time of year.” However, on collateral form with Dob Cossack Holywell has not been that particularly well treated. His effort at Cheltenham should be noted.
Forced to select one horse as a tip that would have to be Many Clouds. He knows his way twice around Aintree and is weighted to win again. That would set up the potential for a third win only ever achieved by the most famous horse of them all, Rummy.
Best Wishes,
BetFan
