2019 Grand National

Maruco said:
Just looking down that list it strikes me as we could potentially have the highest quality National that I can remember.

Also Bristol De Mai running or not changes the shape of race significantly.
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You might well be right Maruco.

I appear not to have saved the original weights document from last year but at the mid-March declaration stage number 20 on the list of weights was OR 150 and everything below that was lower.

At this stage - possibly not truly comparable - OR 150 is #41 in the list.
 
I've looked at a few races today from different angles. Obviously pace may be an issue but I don't think Tiger Roll would look out of place in a Gold Cup. If he runs good races at the festival and National again, could they be tempted to go there in 2020. I'd certainly be tempted.

I've added him to my national portfolio. Wins the Cross Country which he should, you don't get these prices around for him now.
 
I dont know whether Its because I get more open minded as i get older but well it goes a little like this.

When you first see a National you think what a complete and utter lottery.

Then you learn a little about horse racing and you start saying things like " it's actually one of the easiest races to pick the winner of " and gems like " well it's quite easy to narrow the field down."

Then after a certain number of years experience you go full circle .."what a complete and utter lottery this race is" haha.

Certainly looks plenty I could make a case for amongst that lot. I hold one small antepost voucher thus far on Step Back. God bless the Bradstocks.
 
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Danny said:
Then you learn a little about horse racing and you start saying things like " it's actually one of the easiest races to pick the winner of " and gems like " well it's quite easy to narrow the field down."

Then after a certain number of years experience you go full circle .."what a complete and utter lottery this race is" haha.
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I haven't come full circle yet :)

I was actually saying to Mrs O the other evening as we wallowed in the dying rays of the Mediterranean sunshine with a nice Rioja that I wondered if this year was going to be "a Ben Nevis year". In my final year as a student I told everybody who would listen to me that Ben Nevis would win the National and to put whatever was left of their grant on it. IIRC, it went off 12/1 fav and was brought down. The following year it won by miles at 40/1.

I told everyone who would listen last year that Noble Endeavor and UTPT were the only ones to think about seriously only for neither to make it to the race.

I know I'll end up with bits and pieces on a dozen along the way this year but now that UTPT is out I really can't see past NE.

If it gets there...
 
Looks to have more than a fair shout D.O. I was just expressing to my Mrs as I scraped her car windows through the complete and utter frostbitten cold darkness of this fine February morn, just as the blistering numbness of white finger took a firm hold upon one's maulers, I suggested there would be no finer year for me to land the trifecta of the National as this getting up in the morning and dragging myself out to work...well I've given it a fair try, but it just simply isn't for me.
 
I've had a wee look at the betting.

I think the bookies are being pretty fair at the moment.

Perhaps someone can correct me but I'm pretty sure this time last year Blaklion was about 10/1 fav?

At 20/1 the field at the moment, that's the way an ante-post book should look this far out.
 
Auvergnat will not run

Enda Bolger told Press Association Sport: "We want to let ante-post punters know that Auvergnat will be taken out of the Grand National at the next available stage. I find it puzzling how wrongly handicapped he is compared to the other Irish horses."
 
These are my thoughts on The Grand National Trial tomorrow at Haydock Park.

I'm sweet on Pobbles Bay. His chase mark has been dropped significantly for a few hard races last season on heavy ground. He had a pipe opener the last day over hurdles, finishing a respectable third. I fancy he'll run really well here back on decent ground off 131.

He was beating horses such as Ibis Du Rheu back into second in his novice handicap chase days; he also beat the quite highly rated Bun Doran who I've backed for this years Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival. He's good at beating higher rated horses when receiving weight.

He won those two races after having a several-month break, which he gets again now. He's lightly raced, still unexposed, on a really workable handicap rating too. I look forward to seeing if he can serve it up to the higher rated horses. I think he can do it.

Pobbles Bay Each Way @ 20/1
 
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Marble said:
These are my thoughts on The Grand National Trial tomorrow at Haydock Park.

I'm sweet on Pobbles Bay. His chase mark has been dropped significantly for a few hard races last season on heavy ground. He had a pipe opener the last day over hurdles, finishing a respectable third. I fancy he'll run really well here back on decent ground off 131.

He was beating horses such as Ibis Du Rheu back into second in his novice handicap chase days; he also beat the quite highly rated Bun Doran who I've backed for this years Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival. He's good at beating higher rated horses when receiving weight.

He won those two races after having a several-month break, which he gets again now. He's lightly raced, still unexposed, on a really workable handicap rating too. I look forward to seeing if he can swerve it up to the higher rated horses. I think he can do it.

Pobbles Bay Each Way @ 20/1
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I think you have hit the nail on the head Marble. I know the owner of this horse and connections quietly fancy it. The Welsh National was his target but he didn't get in so this race has been targeted.
 
I think Rathvinden although aged 11 [Lightly raced though] is a talented class horse and game as they come

The best current odds of 33-1 are tempting
 
I'm wondering what Aspell was doing on Pobbles Bay yesterday, steering him into trouble.

Maybe its all in my head. :)
 
Marble said:
I'm wondering what Aspell was doing on Pobbles Bay yesterday, steering him into trouble.

Maybe its all in my head. :)
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Looked like the horse tried to run out and Aspell did his best to get him to stay in the race. He had looked mulish even before that to be fair


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It was unbelievable. You’d have to think he’d be a player in the Stayers Hurdle on spring ground after a performance like that. Doesn’t have an entry but I’d supplement him if the ground was riding good five days out
 
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