Grand National 2020

Desert Orchid said:
90+% of the time they do. Usually only runners with better form over the fences than anywhere else or in the race itself, or very high class horses like Bristol De Mai are considered for special treatment. The ones with form in the race or over the fences can be given a higher mark although in the case of those who might be in danger of not making the cut it is spun as giving them a better chance of doing so. I think it was the trainer of Highland Lodge a few years back who asked for this to happen. He was rated something like 10lbs higher in the National than on park courses.
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Many Clouds was the only horse ever raised above his OR on the back of his Aintree form.
 
Maxbet said:
Your 2019 figures show the actual field that ran, not the full picture Do.
When they were published Bristol De Mai was given 168....5Lb's below his official....he was pulled out compounding the compression.
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Yes, I mentioned something similar a couple of posts above. I think a small number of classy types have been handicapped with the purpose of enticing them to run but haven't taken up the challenge.

But I don't really see how it compounds the compression as everything else runs off its mark.

I support compressing the handicap for such horses. A lot of them will have form around the 3m mark.

If a length at Epsom over 5f is worth 6lb and over 2m 2f at Newmarket is 1lb, it should follow that carrying two stone more over nearly twice the latter trip - and jumping 30 fences along the way - a pound for a length seems a bit much.
 
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Maxbet said:
Many Clouds was the only horse ever raised above his OR on the back of his Aintree form.
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Many Clouds was 'allowed' 1lb because of his rating. Went up to 167 for winning off 160, was down to 166 by next spring and got into the National off 165. Back up to 166 next time out.
 
Palaver is too polite.

You'd have to assume it's the O'Learys acting up.

If so, I'd tell them to fuckrightoff.
 
Top weights

11-10 Tiger Roll

11-10 Delta Work

11-08 Bristol de Mai

11-06 Native River

11-02 Anibale Fly

11-02 Aso

11-02 Cadmium

11-02 Elegant Escap
 
Others of interest

10-12 Magic of Light

10-10 Burrows Saint

10-09 Ok Corral

10-06 Potters Corner

10-05 Ramses de Teillee

10-04 Kimberlite Candy
 
Kimberlite Candy wins.

Didn’t realise Cadium was rated so highly, he’s one I liked.
 
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I'm glad the handicapper stood his ground and I still think TR will run regardless of that or however well or badly he gets on at the festival.

One For Arthur is definitely on my radar too but I can't see it shortening up much before the day as it's becoming a bit of a forgotten horse.

Sentimental once-a-year-and-around-Easter punters might stick something on come the day and bookies might cut it for that reason but I'll be surprised if there's any real momentum behind it ante-post.

I haven't seen the weights yet and won't be able to study the form unless my eye op next month succeeds beyond my expectations but will have a look today to see if anything jumps out.
 
Quote from the handicapper

[FONT=&quot]British Horseracing Authority chase handicapper Martin Greenwood, who framed the weights for the second time this year and has total discretion for the Randox Health Grand National, said: "I have made Tiger Roll and Delta Work joint top-weights for the Randox Health Grand National.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
"This decision was made essentially on two factors - historical compression which was brought in by Phil Smith and has been used for the last 10 years or so. On the other hand, I have to give Tiger Roll this mark based on his efforts over the national fences at Aintree where he is of course unbeaten.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Tiger Roll was rated 172 at the end of last year and obviously there is no recent evidence to go on because of his fitness issues, so his handicap mark has been unquantifiable since. He is therefore coming down 2lb and carries the same weight as Suny Bay did when he was second in the 1998 Grand National. No other horse has carried that rating since. Many Clouds won off 11st 9lb, but he did not have as high a rating.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"It must be remembered that Tiger Roll ran in the race off a rating of 159 but was actually rated 167 at the time due to his win in the Cross Country at Cheltenham.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Tiger Roll has also not yet qualified for this year's Grand National. Whilst he may run in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan (Sunday, 14 February), he still has to run in a chase to qualify. There are about 15 horses overall who currently do not qualify because they have either not run over fences this season or not yet finished in the first four in a race over 23 and a half furlongs in their career. A high-profile example would be Cadmium, a Topham Chase winner.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Delta Work is a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup contender and, in order to keep as many of the horses in the handicap, he is also off 170. Other horses towards the top include Bristol de Mai and Native River. Bristol de Mai was rated 173 when entered last year and that figure has been downgraded since to 168. I have dropped Native River 2lb to 166 as Bristol De Mai has finished in front of him the last couple of times they have met, and I thought he was workmanlike when winning at Newbury on Saturday.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"This year, 73% of the horses entered are in the handicap. Similarly, from a starting rating of 140, there are more horses than ever in the modern era entered for the race - 92 in total.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"The race is full of top-class individuals and boasts the winners of races such as the Grand National, Irish National, Welsh National, Rowland Meyrick Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup and much more. It is as good a staying handicap as would be run anywhere.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"You could argue that it is the highest quality Grand National in modern history."[/FONT]
 
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