There has been a major shake-up in the betting for Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National, following the five-day confirmation and bookmekers have made MY WILL there 7/1 jolly after Ruby picked the Paul Nicholls-trained horse and Butlers Cabin is out to 10s in some places
A total of 74 horses stood their ground today ahead of the four and a half-mile spectacular on April 4 for which a maximum field of 40 can line up, chasing a share of the record £900,000 in prize money.
Champion jockey Tony McCoy, seeking a first victory in the Aintree showpiece, could partner the Jonjo O’Neill-trained 2007 Irish Grand National winner Butler’s Cabin for his main patron, owner J P McManus, who is also hoping to break his duck in the big race. McManus is set to run a further trio of Reveillez, Can’t Buy Time and L’Ami, with McCoy expected to choose one of the owner’s quartet later this week.
Ruby Walsh, fresh from a record-breaking seven winners at the Cheltenham Festival, is set to take the mount on the Paul Nicholls-trained My Will, who ran an eye-catching trial for the big race when fifth to Kauto Star in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Nicholls could saddle four runners in all with the market mover Cornish Sett, Big Fella Thanks and the injury-prone Eurotrek, winner of the 2006 totesport.com Becher Chase over the Grand National fences, primed for action.
Comply Or Die provided David Pipe with the biggest thrill of his short training career when winning 12 months ago and will attempt to become the first since Red Rum in 1974 to gain back-to-back wins while the 2007 hero Silver Birch will try and emulate Red Rum, who in 1977 was the most recent horse to regain his crown.
New top-weight Cloudy Lane (11st 10lb), following the expected withdrawals of Snoopy Loopy and Nozic, will be bidding to thrust the McCain name back into the John Smith’s Grand National spotlight. The nine-year-old finished sixth in last year’s race when 7/1 joint favourite and will again take his chance for Donald McCain, son of Ginger McCain, who won the great race four times thanks to the legendary Red Rum (1973, 1974 & 1977) and Amberleigh House (2004).
Rambling Minster, at 10/1, aims to give the Reveley family a day to remember. The 11-year-old, winner of the Blue Square Gold Cup at Haydock in February, is trained in Cleveland by Keith Reveley and will be partnered by his son, James Reveley.
Irish-trained horses have carried off six of the last 10 renewals of the world’s greatest steeplechase and, with 20 contenders holding their ground five days short of raceday, the tricolours could be flying once again at the weekend.
Kildare handler Dessie Hughes is responsible for 14/1 shot Black Apalachi, a faller at the second fence last year but successful in the totesport.com Becher Chase over the Grand National fences in November. He proved his well-being with victory in the Grade Three Bobbyjo Chase in February. The Willie Mullins-trained Snowy Morning, 25/1, was second in that Fairyhouse contest and connections hope he can improve upon his third behind Comply Or Die last year.
No Welsh-trained runner has prevailed in the Grand National since 1905 when Kirkland, trained in Pembrokeshire by E Thomas, landed the spoils at 6/1. Glamorgan trainer Evan Williams is hoping to rewrite the record books and give Wales its second Grand National winner with 2007 Hennessy Gognac Gold Cup hero State Of Play.
A top-class renewal is guaranteed with a host of talented individuals eying immortality, including Grade One winners Darkness and Offshore Account. Nigel Twiston-Davies trains in Gloucestershire and is the most successful current handler in the John Smith’s Grand National with two successes, thanks to Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002). He has five hopefuls in Knowhere, Ollie Magern, Fundamentalist, Battlecry and Beat The Boys.
The last horse to get into the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National at the moment is Kelami, the 40th in the handicap. But that could change when current ratings of the three horses on 10st 5lb are assessed later this week - the other two with that weight are Idle Talk and Zabenz.
29 comments:
some a-z facts for the bloggers..
AMATEURS: Plenty of amateur jockeys have upstaged their professional rivals in the Grand National, with the last member of the unpaid ranks to taste victory being journalist Marcus Armytage, who won on Mr Frisk in 1990. Eight years earlier, amateur Dick Saunders became the oldest winning jockey in the race, when partnering Grittar to victory, aged 48.
BECHER'S BROOK: The first ever Grand National at Aintree in 1839 saw the sixth and 22nd fence of the circuit renamed Becher's Brook after Captain Becher was unseated from leader Conrad at the big ditch and crawled into the brook for safety. He is reported to have said that he "never knew water tasted so foul without whiskey in it".
CHAIR: The famous fence is actually only jumped once, and is named after its position, which is opposite the 'seat' reserved for the 'distance' judge. Standing at five feet two inches with a six foot ditch, it is the largest fence on the track.
DISTANCE: The winning margin equivalent to more than 30 lengths was last achieved in the 2001 Grand National, when Red Marauder led four finishers home.
Only the winner and Smarty put in a clear round, as Blowing Wind and Papillon were remounted. The smallest number of finishers is two in 1928, when Tipperary Tim beat the remounted Billy Barton.
EARLY MIST: The first of Vincent O'Brien's three straight Grand National winners between 1953 and 1955, with Royal Tan and Quare Times taking the following two renewals, making the legendary handler the only person to saddle three winners in a row.
FOINAVON: The 1967 renewal was famous for the bizarre way in which 100/1 shot Foinavon won. The riderless Popham Down caused chaos at the 23rd fence, bringing almost the whole field to a standstill, except Foinavon, who was so far back his jockey had time to go round the melee and jump the fence miles clear. Foinavon was so unfancied his owner and trainer didn't turn up to watch.
GREYS: Only two grey horses have ever won the Grand National - The Lamb won twice in 1868 and 1871, while Nicolaus Silver is the only grey this century to win, in 1961.
HANDICAPPER: Senior BHB handicapper Phil Smith has had plenty of criticism from trainers in the past, and a few of them may have wished that he'd carried out his threat of throwing himself off the Aintree grandstand if the 2003 Grand National winner scored by more than seven lengths. Monty's Pass romped home by 12.
IRISH: After Bobbyjo ended a lean spell for the Irish that stretched back to 1975, Irish-trained horses have won six of the last 10 Grand Nationals, with Comply Or Die foiling King Johns Castle's bid to make it for on the bounce for the Emerald Isle last year.
JOCKEYS: Ruby Walsh has been the jockey to follow in the Grand National in recent years, with two wins, Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005, and a second on Hedgehunter in 2006. The most successful jockey in the race's history is George Stevens, who won five times between 1856 and 1870.
KILMORE: The Ryan Price-trained 12-year-old gave Fred Winter his second victory in the race as a jockey in 1962 (he won on Sundew in 1957). Winter won back-to-back Nationals as a trainer, with Jay Trump in 1965 and Anglo 12 months later.
LADY RIDERS: Nina Carberry became the fourth lady rider to complete the Grand National when guiding Forest Gunner to ninth place in 2006. Forest Gunner carried Carrie Ford to finish fifth the previous year, while the other two ladies to complete were Geraldine Rees (eighth on Cheers in 1982) and Rosemary Henderson (fifth on Fiddlers Pike in 1994).
MANIFESTO: The epitome of a Grand National horse, he ran in the race eight times between 1897 and 1904. He won twice, finished third three times, came fourth once and eighth on his final start, aged 16. He only once failed to complete.
NONE: The number of Grand National winners ridden by champion jockeys Peter Scudamore and John Francome. Scudamore managed one third on Corbiere in 1985, while Francome finished second in 1980 and third in 1979 on Rough And Tumble.
Current champion Tony McCoy will be hoping to get himself out of this group, as he also has yet to score in the National.
OWNERS: Holiday camp magnate Fred Pontin celebrated success in the 1971 Grand National with Specify, a win which inspired Trevor Hemmings to get into racehorse ownership, and he in turn tasted victory at Aintree in 2005 with Hedgehunter.
PITMAN: The only woman to train the winner of the Grand National, she saddled Corbiere to victory in 1983 and Royal Athlete in 1995. Son Mark trained Smarty, who finished second to Red Marauder in 2001.
QUEEN MOTHER: Came within fifty yards of tasting Grand National success with Devon Loch in 1956, when the horse inexplicably sprawled under Dick Francis close to the line, gifting the race to ESB.
RED RUM: No horse can match Red Rum's Grand National record. Winner of the race in 1973 and 1974, he was second the next two years before his historic third victory in 1977. He died in 1995 and is buried by the winning post at Aintree.
SPECTATORS: A crowd of around 70,000 racegoers will be expected to flock to Aintree on Grand National day, while the estimated worldwide audience is 600 million, with the race being distributed to 140 countries.
TOPHAM: The family involved in the creation of the great race. Mr Edward William Topham was part of the original syndicate which first staged races at Aintree, and he took over the lease of the course in 1848, which remained within the family until it was sold in 1973, and the track is now part of Jockey Club Racecourses.
USA: Former American chasers Jay Trump and Ben Nevis came over to Britain to win the Grand National in 1965 and 1980 respectively, while US owners have won on 10 occasions, including in 1938 with Battleship, owned by actor Randolph Scott's wife Marion Du Pont Scott. The most recent US-owned winner was Betty Moran's Papillon in 2000.
VOID: The infamous 1993 running of the Grand National was declared void after chaotic scenes at the start. With some horses getting tangled up in the starting tape, a false start was announced, but 30 of the 39 starters failed to heed the false start notice and though Jenny Pitman's Esha Ness completed the course in first, the race was declared void.
WEIGHT: Horses carrying more than 11st have not had a good record in recent years, with only Hedgehunter in 2005 and Rhyme 'N' Reason carrying 11st or more to victory since 1984. The most carried to victory is 12st 7lb, by four horses, including Manifesto in 1899, who amazingly carried 12st 13lb to finish third the following year.
X-RAYS: Often needed by the eccentric aristocrat Beltran de Osorio y Diez de Rivera, the "Iron" Duke of Albuquerque. In seven attempts at the race, he finished eighth on Nereo in 1974, fell three times and pulled up twice. He suffered several injuries and became well known in Liverpool's hospitals. He wasdeclared medically unfit to ride in the race in 1977.
YOUNGEST: The youngest jockey to win the Grand National was Bruce Hobbs, who was aged just 17 when he triumphed on board Battleship in the 1938 renewal of the race.
ZOEDONE: Owned and ridden by Bohemian diplomat Count Charles Kimsky - who bought the horse for £800 from winnings from a touch landed in the Cesarewitch - the mare won the 1883 renewal of the Grand National, the first time the Count had ridden in the race.
ItK
Hunterview in the last at Southwell today around 5/2 and the double is Sphere in the 5.05 at Folkestone!
Aintree Weatherwatch
WITH Merseyside expected to enjoy an early taste of summer for the John Smith's Grand National meeting, a course watering programme began on Monday and is likely to continue for much of the week.
A Met Office spokesman told racingpost.com on Monday that there was no rain included in the forecast this week, and by Friday temperatures may climb to between 15c-16c. The average for the area in the first weekof April was 11c.
Aintree clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch and his team gave the entire Mildmay course between 4mm-6mm on Monday, and the ground there is good.
The Grand National course, which is good, good to soft in places, will be watered on Tuesday, with amounts varying between 3mm-6mm.
Tulloch said: "The National course is generally good ground, with just the odd spot of good to soft. We will water to maintain safe conditions, and if necessary that may include watering after racing on Thursday and Friday."
He added: "The various forecasters agree that it will be quite warm by Friday, and one has suggested temperatures may be up to 18c."
Today's horse NAP......
SMARTIES PARTY 7/1 - 3.05 Wetherby
got a tip through for Baby Run on Thursday at Aintree around 10/1
stableboy
The new order of elimination from the John Smith's Grand National was decided on Tuesday morning by the British Horseracing Authority's handicappers if more than 40 horses are declared.
This is based on each horse's current rating when two or more horses were allocated the same weight back on February 8 when the weights were decided.
If there are any drop-outs by the final declaration stage at 10am on Thursday, April 2, then Maljimar will be the next horse to get in the final field followed by Companero, Pomme Tiepy, Niche Market, Mattock Ranger, Iron Man and Flintoff.
ItK
Gerard,whos the tip for the masters next week?I know your major naps have been good for the last while back
Want to get an early price before the market moves.
Petrot Chelly
I'm taking the in form ZACH JOHNSON each-way at 33's for the US Masters.
European players Masters records...
Paul Casey (Eng), 31. Played 4. Best: 6th (2004). Top 10s: 2. Cuts made: 3. Best round: 68. Worst round: 79. Was lying fourth with a round to go last year, but closed with a 79 and dropped to 11th. Exempt: top 16 Masters, world top 50 December 31.
Luke Donald (Eng), 31. Played 4. Best: 3rd (2005). Top 10s: 2. Cuts made: 3. Best round: 68. Worst round: 77. Played last eight holes in six under - two eagles, two birdies - for third place on his debut. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Ross Fisher (Eng), 28. Debut. European Open winner in impressive fashion last July and close to making Ryder Cup. Missed cut in first two American majors. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Sergio Garcia (Spa), 29. Played 10. Best: 4th (2004). Top 10s: 2. Cuts made: 6. Best round: 66. Worst round: 79. Reached world No 2, but still no major wins after Padraig Harrington got better of him again at US PGA. Exempt: 2008 Players Champion, top 4 US PGA, top 30 2008 US Tour, qualifier for 2008 Tour Championship, world top 50 December 31.
Soren Hansen (Den), 35. Played 1. Cuts made: 0. Best round: 75. Worst round: 78. Made Ryder Cup debut last September, but has won only twice in approaching 300 European Tour starts. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Padraig Harrington (Ire), 37. Played 9. Best: 5th (2002-08). Top 10s: 3. Cuts made: 7. Best round: 68. Worst round: 77. Chasing third major in a row after Open-US PGA double. Exempt: Open champion, PGA champion, top 16 Masters, top 30 2008 US Tour, world top 50 December 31.
Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), 45. Played 10. Best: 8th (2008). Top 10s: 3. Cuts made: 7. Best round: 68. Worst round: 79. Played best closing round of anybody last year. Exempt: top 16 Masters, top 8 US Open, world top 50 December 31.
Robert Karlsson (Swe), 39. Played 2. Best: 8th (2008). Cuts made: 2. Best round: 70. Worst round: 79. European No 1 last season, finishing in top 10 in three of the four majors. Exempt: top 16 Masters, top 8 US Open, world top 50 December 31.
Martin Kaymer (Ger), 24. Played 1. Cuts made: 0. Best round: 72. Worst round: 76. Europe's 2007 Rookie of the Year twice a winner last year, second victory coming just before his mother died of cancer. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Soren Kjeldsen (Den), 33. Debut. Volvo Masters win in November only his second in 310 European Tour starts. Won recently in Spain. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Bernhard Langer (Ger), 51. Played 26. Best: 1 (1985-93). Top 10s: 8. Cuts made: 21. Best round: 66. Worst round: 79. Top money-winner in his first season on US seniors tour last year. Exempt: Past champion.
Sandy Lyle (Sco), 51. Played 27. Best: 1 (1988). Top 10s: 1. Cuts made: 14. Best round: 65. Worst round: 82. Made cut last April for only third time in last nine Masters. Exempt: Past champion.
Graeme McDowell, 29. Played 1. Cuts made: 0. Best round: 70. Worst round: 79. Fifth on last year's European Order of Merit and back for a second attempt four years after his debut. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Rory McIlroy, 19. Debut. One of the most exciting young talents in the game makes it to the Masters less than two years into his pro career. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), 43. Played 21. Best: 1st (1994-99). Top 10s: 8. Cuts made: 16. Best round: 66. Worst round: 81. Joint third in 2006, but has had more health problems since. Exempt: Past champion.
Carl Pettersson (Swe), 31. Played 2. Best: 27th (2006). Cuts made: 2. Best round: 72. Worst round: 79. Back in the event after missing out last year. Exempt: top 8 US Open, top 30 2008 US Tour, US Tour winner, qualifier for 2008 Tour Championship.
Ian Poulter (Eng), 33. Played 4. Best: 13th (2007). Top 10s: 0. Cuts made: 4. Best round: 69. Worst round: 78. Open runner-up was joint third at halfway last year, but fell to 25th. Exempt: top four Open, world top 50 December 31.
Alvaro Quiros (Spa), 26. Debut. Biggest hitter on the European Tour climbed into world's top 30 with win in Qatar in January and place at Augusta will be confirmed the week before the tournament. Exempt: world top 50 March 30.
Justin Rose (Eng), 28. Played 4. Best: 5th (2007). Top 10s: 1. Cuts made: 4. Best round: 67. Worst round: 81. Has held early lead three times and two years ago was one behind with two to play, but double-bogeyed 17th. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Reinier Saxton (Ned), 21. Debut. Only the second Dutchman to win the British amateur title. Shot 80-77 at Open. Exempt: British amateur champion.
Henrik Stenson (Swe), 33 on April 5. Played 3. Best: 17th (2007-08). Cuts made: 2. Best round: 72. Worst round: 77. Third and fourth in the last two majors. Exempt: top four Open, top four US PGA, world top 50 December 31.
Lee Westwood (Eng), 35. Played 9. Best: 6th (1999). Top 10s: 1. Cuts made: 6. Best round: 68. Worst round: 79. Led with nine to play in 1999 and just missed out at US Open last year. Exempt: top 16 Masters, top eight US Open, world top 50 December 31.
Oliver Wilson (Eng), 28. Debut. Went to college in Augusta and makes it back in sixth year as a pro. Made Ryder Cup without winning a tournament. Exempt: world top 50 December 31.
Ian Woosnam (Wal), 50. Played 20. Best: 1st (1991). Top 10s: 1. Cuts made: 13. Best round: 66. Worst round: 81. Made cut last year for first time since 2000. Exempt: Past champion.
I'll ask my golfing expert Kevin O!
who will be penning a piece next week
ive heard big money is going on mickleson in the states.Apparently he was at the course for 6 days last week practising
Petrot Chelly
that's me an Jamie Spencer finished another poor, poor effort in the saddle from the much over-rated jockey
NATIONAL GAMBLE GATHERS SPEED....
A GRAND NATIONAL betting plunge gathered momentum on Tuesday on the Philip Hobbs-trained Parsons Legacy, who has not been seen on a racecourse since mid-December.
All leading bookmakers cut the odds of the 11-year-old, who can run particularly well when fresh and is suited by good ground. It is understood that a tipping service inspired the move.
Bet365 and Paddy Power offer as short as 14-1 about Parsons Legacy, while Stan James and Victor Chandler, who both went 40-1 on Tuesday morning, are now 16-1 and 20-1 respectively. Coral, who cut him to 20-1 (from 33), reported that liabilities had hit the six-figure mark.
Hobbs said that the plunge was nothing to do with him or the stable. "My last bet was five years ago at Royal Ascot," he said.
"I suppose people are backing him because it looks as though the ground will be right. He has some good form over the years, including a close-up third to Hot Weld in the 2007 Scottish Grand National, and a second to Cloudy Lane in that season's Kim Muir at Cheltenham."
My Will also continued to shorten in the Grand National betting on Tuesday. Boylesports were forced to clip his price into 6-1 from 7-1, while Victor Chandler's standout 8-1 did not last long. The firm now go 7-1 about the Paul Nicholls-trained chaser.
Chandler also report good money for Kilbeggan Blade and Maljimar for the Aintree showpiece. Kilbeggan Blade is now 20-1 from 33-1, while Maljimar is the same price from 40-1.
Boylesports report each-way support for Brooklyn Brownie, 33-1 from 40-s and Knowhere, 40-1 from 50-1.
Looking for another winner or two today and we like AZANA (NAP) in the opener at Gowran Park and double him up with CARNIVORE in the opener at Kempton!
3.20 Catterick - MIGHTY MOON
4.30 Lingfield - MR WILLIS
Barstool
GAA followers in Tyrone have been stunned by the announcement that All Ireland Gaelic football winning manager Mickey Harte has been appointed to Sir Alex Ferguson’s coaching staff at Old Trafford.
The inspirational Tyrone boss will take up the new post of Performance Director at Manchester United with immediate effect.
It is understood that Ferguson has been tracking Harte’s progress for a number of years, the pair having first met at the Belfast Telegraph’s Sports Awards in Belfast, where, according to Old Trafford insiders, ‘they instantly hit it off.’
Speaking at today’s press conference Sir Alex said: ‘We tried to get Mickey on board last summer but Tyrone beat Dublin, so that meant he had those commitments. We also tried to get him in 2004 but circumstances meant he couldn’t leave.’
‘It’s fabulous news for Manchester United and I am delighted he is joining us. Since Carlos [Quiroz, the current Portugal manager] left, we have been missing someone to get the optimum performance from the players. Mickey has proved he can do it at the highest level with players of the highest skill.’
Mickey Harte said that although the decision to leave his beloved Tyrone team was very difficult, he ‘technically supported Manchester United since he was a boy’, growing up with tales of the Busby Babes and following Charlton, Best and Law:
“This is a good place to be if you want to be the best you can be in sport. Gaelic Football was my first love but in life sometimes an opportunity presents itself. I have been involved with Tyrone in a number of roles for nineteen years. I always tell the players to seize every opportunity to be the best, to be ambitious for the higher gifts. So when Alex called, he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. And so, this is a new journey, a new chapter and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Harte is known to be a fan of Sir Alex Ferguson, publicly praising his methods in the past. Both men share a fierce will to win and a commitment to attacking football. One thing it is unlikely Harte will share with Sir Alex is his customary post-match bottle of fine wine. Harte is a confirmed tee-totaller and member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association.
However, his experience of dealing with the likes of Ricey, Owen Mulligan and Sean Cavanagh will be an asset in getting the best out of Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Ronaldo and Company.
In the past a number of GAA coaches have been linked with Premiership Clubs – Armagh defender and sports psychologist Enda McNulty was linked with Aston Villa and former Armagh and Derry trainer, John McCloskey was close to joining Chelsea. Although a number of former GAA players have had successful careers including Martin O’Neill and Kevin Moran, this is the first time a manager has made the jump.
Must be on every blog/forum in the country that one. hardy har har
Today's horse selections.......
NAP - DUNKELLY CASTLE 9/4 - 3.10 Exeter
DOUBLE - SUNSET BOULEVARD 10/3 - 3.30 Lingfield
E/WAY - CAPTAIN BECKETT 10/1 - 2.40 Exeter
A New Start for Punchestown Festival.
Punchestown racecourse today announced that the start times for the opening races for the first four days at the Irish National Hunt Festival have been moved an hour later to 3.45pm.
The move will see the seven race programmes run from 3.45pm through to 7.15pm on Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th April and 3.45pm to 7.45pm on Friday 1st May while the start time will remain at 2.45pm for Saturday 2nd May.
This decision continues Punchestown’s policy of adapting to the current economic challenges and making racing more accessible to the general public. After extensive consultation with all stakeholders it is felt that this adjustment will accommodate those racegoers who wish to carry out at least a half day of work prior to racing in a time when employment priorities are forefront in people’s minds.
The change means that the major races of the Punchestown Festival are now to be shown live on RTE during primetime which significantly increases the potential viewership. Having consulted major sponsors including Kerrygold, Guinness, Rabobank, Ladbrokes and Ballymore, Punchestown can reveal that all are in favour of the alteration as it will increase brand exposure and facilitate the needs of their corporate guests and clients. Racing industry bodies such as Horse Racing Ireland, the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association and members of the racing press are all in support of the initiative based on the positive effects it will contribute to the industry.
Dick O’Sullivan, General Manager Punchestown, stated “The business world has changed more in the last eight months than it has in the last ten years so it was a case of adapting to the new circumstances. One of the most significant advancements we have made in recent times was to win back the support of the local community and we feel that by facilitating the hard working public we are making it easier to justify an afternoon at Punchestown with a decent days work under their belt “
“There are so many parties involved in the Punchestown Festival and having thought long and hard about this, we feel that it will benefit and add to the event. The success of the festival benefits the local towns and villages from hotels and pubs to shops and boutiques so to optimise the success of the festival will optimise the trade locally”.
“Decisions in recent years, including the addition of the very successful concluding fifth day, have been good for racing and the race going public so we are confident about this latest initiative”.
The Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival takes place from Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May 2009. General Admission is €30 with Students and OAP’s paying €15. The Party @ Punchestown Pack offers excellent value to group bookings at just €29pp.
First one up in my double, DUNKELLY CASTLE wins well at 9/4!
Second one in my double finished 2nd! Crossbar again!!
NATIONAL BETTING NEWS......
State Of Play and Offshore Account have been the two horses backed in the totesport offices today ahead of this weekend’s Grand National, at Aintree.
Offshore Account has been nibbled into 33/1 (from 40s) to give Charlie Swan a National winner from his first runner in the race, whilst there has been sustained support for State Of Play, who is now a 12/1 shot (from 14s).
"The Grand National market is now beginning to take shape and, barring any surprise withdrawals, My Will should head the betting when the final declarations are announced on Thursday morning," said totesport spokesman George Primarolo.
"Several horses have been nibbled at in recent days and as a consequence, we’ve laid a good spread of the runners. State Of Play and Offshore Account are the latest two to be cut but it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of the gambles in this year’s race."
Great result for the Republic last night, I even thought they might steal it late on. I thought the ref was a disgrace though, that Italian boy should never have been sent off but the Italian's were so frustrating when they fell over like big women every time they were touched!
How did Shrek Rooney not get sent off in the England game?? That was a straight red card if ever I saw one. He did get the ball first but he delibrately followed through knee high and caught the player!
The crowds reaction when Rooney went flying in tells its own story!
Shocking lunge /'tackle' whatever they want to call it.
Barstool
Agree lads should have been off - he's running in the Grand National on Saturday!
I am hearing that AP McCoy has chosen BUTLERS CABIN for the National but I can't see any stories confirming it!!
All quiet so far today Aintree wise. Personally speaking I prefer this meeting to Cheltenham, probably just because I seem to have more success here.
No legendary guide from you yet PG?
Barstool
on way Barstool!
Aintree day one fancies.....
2.00 MIGHTY MAN 9/2
2.35 STARLUCK (NAP) 5/2
3.10 EXOTIC DANCER 3/1
3.45 DISTANT THUNDER 10/1
CITY AFFAIR (E/W) 40/1
4.20 LESLINGTAYLOR 7/1
4.55 CALGARY BAY 5/1
5.30 BIG EARED FRAN 12/1
Good luck!!
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