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The 2025 Grand National

I wouldn't want to be within kicking distance of Jonathan Burke if Stay Away Fay wins.

(In fact I'd stay away fay him altogether...)

I would like to see SAF finish ahead of the Minella horse purely because Burke changed his mind. That's not the kind of think a person of honour does. If he accepted the ride on SAF he should have kept his word and left it up to Mullins to let the media know he offered Burke the ride on his but the jockey had given his word to SAF's connections and didn't want to go back on it.

That would have been so much better for the sport and for the appeal to the once-a-year TV viewers.

I still get a wee bit annoyed when I think back on the Juddmonte horse whose jockey was binned after being unlucky in the Derby a year or two back.
 
jinnyj said:
I innocently posted that I didn't feel that he should run due to being a target for the Antis "Oh look at that poor horse being made to run when it doesn't" He's clearly not in love with the game and has become increasingly temperamental. So why is this? Well I suggested that he may well have an underlying issue that hasn't been identified yet....which can happen. A horse cannot say "I am feeling a bit sore on my left front leg" so he will indicate a problem but showing lameness or hanging away from the pain or jumping away from it. If it's something like a heart condition (far harder to identify if you're not actively looking for it) then he may just say "Actually I don't think I will bother racing today, if that's OK with you?" Horses on the whole are pretty simple creatures that do really want to
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100% agree.

BHA were never going to let it run after it’s Kelso performance. Only sensible decision and he was a risk to other participants chances, particularly at the start.
 
Ian_Davies said:
You could be living in one of the houses on the Melling Road, but your lawn still wouldn't be enjoying the irrigation the GN course has been getting and will continue to receive! 😂
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Just reporting in, I'm sitting out in the garden, with my shades and shorts on, with a nice breeze blowing about to cut the lawn 🌞.
 
jinnyj said:
He's actually been banned from the race according to the RP:
www.racingpost.com

Mr Incredible barred from running in Saturday's Grand National after failing to complete in six of last seven starts

The Sandy Thomson-trained Mr Incredible has been barred from participating in Saturday's Randox Grand National following scrutiny by the National... Read More
www.racingpost.com www.racingpost.com

And I don't think this is a bad thing despite having a ridiculous "spat with a twat" on Reddit a couple of days ago. I innocently posted that I didn't feel that he should run due to being a target for the Antis "Oh look at that poor horse being made to run when it doesn't" He's clearly not in love with the game and has become increasingly temperamental. So why is this? Well I suggested that he may well have an underlying issue that hasn't been identified yet....which can happen. A horse cannot say "I am feeling a bit sore on my left front leg" so he will indicate a problem but showing lameness or hanging away from the pain or jumping away from it. If it's something like a heart condition (far harder to identify if you're not actively looking for it) then he may just say "Actually I don't think I will bother racing today, if that's OK with you?" Horses on the whole are pretty simple creatures that do really want to please you.

The Reddit guy was having none of it though. He was a "tipster" based in Newmarket...so he KNEW! Told me I was talking crap and the trainer knew the horse better than me. Which of course he does...doesn't mean to say the horse should run if it doesn't want to and I am very pleased to see that the BHA have agreed with my thoughts.
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I was thinking that, too, as I think we’ve discussed in the past how sometimes horses that appear to be un genuine actually have a physical problem that makes them not want to race.
 
moehat said:
I was thinking that, too, as I think we’ve discussed in the past how sometimes horses that appear to be un genuine actually have a physical problem that makes them not want to race.
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Completely my thinking - but not the twat from Reddit - who was clearly vastly more experienced than me.........at talking out of his a*se!! 😂
 
archie said:
In case anyone hadn't noticed, updated going stick readings taken yesterday 16.00 to 17.00:
Mildmay Chase 4.9
Mildmay Hurdle 4.5
National 4.5
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Yes, I noticed it this morning but it made me reckon they'll increase the watering a touch this evening to bring it back down. There's a chunk more of the Mildmay course being illustrated as 'good' at the Turftrax site and that will make them act.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Yes, I noticed it this morning but it made me reckon they'll increase the watering a touch this evening to bring it back down. There's a chunk more of the Mildmay course being illustrated as 'good' at the Turftrax site and that will make them act.
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While we were concentrating on the stick reading of 4 at the head of the RP entries, most of us, including myself, hadn't noticed that it was the reading from the 27th and hadn't been updated until this latest news. I assume that there will now be a daily update.
 
There’s a lot of chatter about Cromwell’s Stumptown, but it’s his other one Perceval Levallois that carries my vote. He won the Paddy Power at Leopardstown over three and a half miles * back end of December putting up a comprehensive career best and then did the same over hurdles (protecting chase mark with GN in mind?) in a £50k Listed handicap in early February, again at Leopardstown . I’ll go with him and throw in a couple of outsiders for luck - Three Card Brag and Senior Chief.

* Edit: 3m 1/2 furlong, not 1/2 mile
 
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barjon said:
There’s a lot of chatter about Cromwell’s Stumptown, but it’s his other one Perceval Levallois that carries my vote. He won the Paddy Power at Leopardstown over three and a half miles back end of December putting up a comprehensive career best and then did the same over hurdles (protecting chase mark with GN in mind?) in a £50k Listed handicap in early February, again at Leopardstown . I’ll go with him and throw in a couple of outsiders for luck - Three Card Brag and Senior Chief.
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Perceval is certainly a fascinating runner. Was it not just over 3m at Leopardstown where he won though?
 
archie said:
While we were concentrating on the stick reading of 4 at the head of the RP entries, most of us, including myself, hadn't noticed that it was the reading from the 27th and hadn't been updated until this latest news. I assume that there will now be a daily update.
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The reading I saw yesterday at Turftrax was dated the 29th - I double checked - but early this morning they had put the one for the 27th back up. They changed it at lunchtime to today's readings.

Makes you wonder what they're playing at.

Also, those videos were very interesting. I remember they started verti-draining at Ayr years ago but thought they had abandoned it as it was making the ground worse. Maybe the modern machinery is better. The fact that they have the watering system computerised makes me all the more convinced they will actively soften the going again from today's readings.
 
Desert Orchid said:
The reading I saw yesterday at Turftrax was dated the 29th - I double checked - but early this morning they had put the one for the 27th back up. They changed it at lunchtime to today's readings.

Makes you wonder what they're playing at.
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I'm not sure where Turftrax gets its information or how quickly it updates. However, on the BHA admin site, the figures at 16.00 today were:
5.0 Mildmay Chase
4.7 Mildmay Hurdle
5.0 National
 
By the way, that graphic is different from the one showing at lunchtime today. It had a stretch of dark green (good) on the home straight (Mildmay). I presume they've been watering.

Hand on heart, having watched those videos, I'm coming down in favour of HOW [scientifically and practically] they're doing it. I'm just still not convinced that it is fair on genuine good ground horses who will now never be allowed to win the race.
 
JJBurke on Minella cocooner.i don't know if that's a positive or not.
I thought Danny Mullins would have been riding it.too late now the money is down.
Can't wait to see who rides what for Willie.

Wasn't there talk once about Percival Legallois running in the Kim muir.he rings a bell with me .

My 5 are
Minella cocooner 40/1 and gone in again at 25/1
Hewick 55/1
Stumpstown 14/1
Monbeg genius 35 /1
And a win bet on Percival Legallois 15/1.

My record in the National is abysmal.
My last winner was back in 2008.
I did come close once when I backed Pleasant company 80/1 2 places and it just failed to catch Tiger Roll.
 
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