Grand National News |
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Five Grand National Contenders Not To Overlook Amidst The Cheltenham Build Up Thursday 6th February 2014 |
The Cheltenham Festival may be less than five weeks away and dominating the racing headlines right now but just three weeks after the National Hunt showpiece concludes, all eyes will switch to Aintree for the Grand National and with the preliminary list of entries already made and the weights set to be announced next week, it is worth taking time to take an eye off Prestbury Park for five minutes and look for any possible value in the Grand National market.
With a record £1 million prize fund on offer this year and a new sponsor on board in the form of Crabbie’s Ginger Beer, it's no surprise that the 2014 Grand National has attracted a whopping 115 entries for the Aintree feature on the 5th April.
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One of the most eye-catching of those names entered is former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run, who could aim to bag another coveted chasing crown but the Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old will need to recapture the form that saw him sparkle at Prestbury Park back in 2011 and saw him get the better of Paul Nicholls’ much-loved Denman and Kauto Star in addition to the 2012 King George Chase.
The Seven Barrows inmate is head and shoulders above anything else in the race in terms of form but with his high mark he is sure to be hit hard when the weights are released and he will need to show he still possesses the ability and also he will have to prove he can deal with all the idiosyncrasies the unique 4m 3f Aintree test has to offer but remains a 25/1 chance.
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Henderson may not only saddle Long Run but impressive Hennessy Gold Cup winner, Triolo D’Alene, could also be another shot fired from the stable that has remarkably never won the race and is another prominent figure in the latest betting as the 20/1 joint-favourite with Betfred.
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The aforementioned Rocky Creek is being targeted at the National by his trainer Paul Nicholls and it has often looked like a real test would play to his strengths, as highlighted when he was outsprinted by The Giant Bolster in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day recently. Currently a 25/1 shot and with Nicholls already pencilling in Aintree for the eight-year-old as the Ditcheat handler looks to win the Grand National for a second time, Rocky Creek is sure to become a popular choice as the race nears.
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The Irish are sure to have to strong battalion heading over from the Emerald Isle and they haven’t tasted success in the contest since 2007 when Silver Birch won for Gordon Elliott and they will certainly look in the direction of Willie Mullins for a leading challenger and dual Thyestes Chase winner, On His Own, could have his third shot at landing the prize for Mullins, who last won the race with Hedgehunter in 2005.
A 25/1 shot in some places, On His Own has struggled in his last two attempts at landing a blow, but the way he dispatched a cracking field in the aforementioned Thyestes in January suggests that he could be a leading player this year and you can never disregard a Mullins contender and with Ruby Walsh likely to be in the saddle that superb partnership could feature prominently once again.
The field is sure to cut up over the next month as many of those Grand National entries run at Cheltenham but for those highlighted, Aintree has been a long term target and it would be no surprise to see them all towards the head of the betting come the first weekend of April.
BetVictor are NON-RUNNER FREE BET and
paying 6 PLACES on the 2014 Grand National.
