2024 Grand National

Outsider said:
What a brilliant race happy that Kittys light and galvin got placed.
Stattler was disappointing, didn't seem to like the fences or maybe the big field..
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Stattler reported breathing problem. My biggest bet Adamantly Chosen reported to have bled. Well done to anyone who won on the race. Mr incredible was my other fancy and seemed Maher Missions jockey knocked off Hayes as he unseated.

Great race though and a brilliant winner in I am maximus.
 
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A wise man included this in his TTF published in the Irish Examiner last October. Well informed sources indicate that he took the 25s too.

Maximus.jpg
 
It was a great race, with two-thirds of the field finishing.

I think the modifications worked just fine, and the race is still the ultimate test of stamina. The Grand National will survive, if the race continues to be raced under these conditions, imo.
 
I watched it again this morning.

Great race but if I'd been on IAM I'd have been worried the whole way. It didn't appear to me to be travelling or jumping particularly well (and I'd probably have been calling Townend for everything for taking it down the inside).

I had plenty in with chances all the way but was urging on Minella Indo from the home turn as I thought he looked the winner (and I backed it in the morning, win only, unfortunately). Looked to just not quite stay but ran a cracker.

It was also a great race for the handicapper with so many in with a chance two out and only the ridiculously officially well in winner going clear.

I imagine we'll see a similar type of race next year. I'm looking forward to it already.

One to watch out for maybe - Floueur. Finished riderless but beat everything bar the powering finish of the winner.
 
I’ve had a problem with backing Irish National winners for the National ever since I told everyone to back Point Barrow many years ago. I really do need to get out of certain mindsets.
 
Yes, while Galvin was my biggest bet and biggest hope, it's really annoying me that I didn't back IAM. After all, I backed CR at shorter last year because he was so well in officially.

I need to let this one go and move on but it's bugging the sh1t out of me.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Yes, while Galvin was my biggest bet and biggest hope, it's really annoying me that I didn't back IAM. After all, I backed CR at shorter last year because he was so well in officially.

I need to let this one go and move on but it's bugging the sh1t out of me.
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Understand where you are coming from -a Irish National winning Grade 1 novice.He was this years Corach Rambler.My brother rang me after the Drinmore to say he thought he was a Gold Cup horse -I said he was a National horse all day long-obviously I didn't have a penny on him.
 
LUKE said:
Understand where you are coming from -a Irish National winning Grade 1 novice.He was this years Corach Rambler.My brother rang me after the Drinmore to say he thought he was a Gold Cup horse -I said he was a National horse all day long-obviously I didn't have a penny on him.
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Ouch, Luke. I don't feel so bad now :o

He must have been quite a price back then.

People who can be arsed to read some of my posts will know how much I value horses that are officially well in. The handicapper is basically telling us which has the best chance so why the fvck didn't I back it, even at 7/1?

To make matters worse, I backed Limerick Lace, possibly swayed that Walsh could have ridden IAM if he wanted and that's probably not the case, even though, from memory, that's how the RP put it at the time.

To be honest, if I'd been at home I probably would have backed it but time here in Spain is tight when I need to focus on allowing Mrs O to enjoy our holiday too so I didn't give the race quite as much attention as normal.

Anyway, I have this nagging voice in my ear going, "Let it go, Maurice, let it go..."
 
I Am Maximus is the second Grand National winner sired by Authorized after Tiger Roll. Interestingly both are inbred 3x3 to Sadler's Wells, Tiger Roll's dam was by Sadler's Wells son Entrepreneur and I Am Maximus's dam was by Sadler's Wells son Poliglote.

Authorized is only the third Derby winner to sire a Grand National winner, The other two were Teddington (who sired the 1863 Grand National winner Emblem and her full-sister Emblematic who won the Grand National in 1864) and Cremorne, who sired the 1884 Grand National Winner Voluptuary. Voluptuary had a very unusual history. Bred by Queen Victoria he was sold to Lord Rosebery for whom he finished sixth in the 1881 Derby. He was then sold for 150 guineas to Mr. H. Boyd and had a couple of runs over hurdles before winning the 1884 Grand National on his steeplechasing debut. He was then sold to an actor Leonard Boyne who, while starring in a melodrama called ‘The Prodigal Daughter’, nightly rode him over a mock water jump on the revolving stage of the Drury Lane Theatre. He was later returned to Mr Boyd and ran in three more Grand Nationals, fell in 1889, fell in 1890 and pulled up in 1891.
 
Authorized joins Cottage, Vulgan and Quorum as the sire of three Grand National winners.
Fans of Martin Stevens' Good Morning Bloodstock would have read the story of all these, especially the fact that Cottage only won once in six seasons racing.
His stock only reached racing maturity from the age of 9 on so he would be of little use nowadays, though Workman won two p2p races at four.
Jim Sullivan, who lived in Buttevant told of his younger days as a groom riding his bosses hunters and p2p horses.
They had a nice five old , gave him a quiet p2p and the next day, ridden by Jim the money was down.
Try as he might he could not shake off a 4 year old , owner ridden, the owner a sixty plus year old with NHS type spectacles , the younger horse won by 2 lengths.
Furious his jockey did not go fast enough , Jim was duly jocked off next time out, a better jockey taking the mount.
In a winners race , the four year old obliged under his owner again carrying a winners' penalty, his rival a well beaten fourth .
Jim spoke in reverence of Workman, the four old who defeated his charge twice.
The story goes that as a two year old Workman jumped from his paddock in Tevenie, near Dromina and joined the horses of Duhallow Hunt as they hunted nearby, jumping from fence to fence with the pack.
Sheila's Cottage was bred four miles west of Dromina near Broadford , Co Limerick by Patsy Boyce, whose son Michael became a well renowned greyhound vet in that village.
She won a maiden p2p in Ballyheen near Kanturk, on land owned by the Wrixon_Becher family, yes that Becher.
A client's father remembers her groom riding her home after the race, the groom drunk from post race celebration.
Cantankerous like her sire, Sheila's Cottage bit off two of her jockey's fingers the day after their Aintree victory.
Four miles east of Dromina Devon Loch was bred at Shandrum Stud by Willie Morrissey, who also bred African Song , a King Stand Stakes winner.
 
Looks like they haven't gone too fast in the GN. I don't know know what the closing par would be but I'd have thought not much above 100%, so for so many to have been running on stoutly in the last half-mile I'm assuming the jockeys at the front end through the race have done a good job.

I don't imagine last year's race was as strong at the end. I'll see if I can find it.

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Just about to send off the card to reception for them to print off for me. I hope to start working on it this evening.
 
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