Friday Issue

3rd April 2015

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The Grand National is much more than a handicap chase run over four miles three and half furlongs at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool. It is the most valuable jumps race in Europe and the one race on which non betting people place a wager once a year. The course is uniquely challenging and includes 30 fences that look totally different to the park fences which most other chases involve. The race has been televised live since 1960 and always on free channels.

Red Run is the only horse to win three Nationals and was also second in the race two times George Stevens rode the winner five times in the nineteenth century. Since 1994 only Ruby Walsh has rode the winner of the race more than once. Three trainers have won four Nationals including Ginger McCain who trained Red Rum and Amberleigh House who won the 2004 National. Two owners have won three Nationals, including Noel le Mare, Red Rum’s owner.

Paul Nicholls has won the Grand National once with Neptune Colognes in 2012, taking the contest by the shortest winning margin in the history of the race. In Rocky Creek and Unioniste the champion trainer has two live chances to win his second National and stable jockey Sam Twiston-Davies will have a tough choice when selecting his mount. On Cheltenham form The Druids Nephew has some weight in hand and can spoil both parties.

Rocky Creek was fifth in the race last year during a season in which he was just below Gold Cup level. The horse was outpaced from the last but relished the special demands of the race and jumped the fences with confidence. The animal was impressive in his last race at Kempton, hardly making a jumping error and doing his best work at the end of the three mile contest. Rocky Creek is a sound jumper with stamina and has that touch of class that is required to win modern day Nationals and but for the McCoy factor would be a much shorter price in ante-post betting.

Unioniste won the Paddy Power Gold Cup as a five year old in 2012 and seemed destined for better races. His career went awry maybe due to excessive weight in handicaps or not quite having the experience for graded races and the horse lost confidence. He looked the horse of old when winning at Sandown over three miles in January and ran another decent trial for the National the following month at Newbury. Nicholls could get the forecast up at Aintree with Unioniste and Rocky Creek though AP McCoy may have a say in the race and could even win it for the romantics.

At the time of writing Shutthefrondoor is 7/1 favourite but that price could have halved or more on the day of the National. McCoy and the horse will get extensive coverage in the media and not just the racing Press and by April 11th the name of horse and jockey will have been discussed more than Nigel Farrage. McCoy transcends the sport and millions of once a year punters will be hoping he wins the race for financial gain and posterity.

It would be a lovely story if Shutthefrontdoor wins the National but other horses are preferred and two of those are trained by Paul Nicholls. The champion trainer elect had three winners at Cheltenham but was still overshadowed by the all powerful Willie Mullins. Winning another National would make it a great season and Rocky Creek and Unioniste are leading contenders for the most famous race in the world.

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