The Grand National
A maximum of 40 runners can line up for the 168th running of the Grand National, the world’s most famous jump race, on Saturday.
If there are 30 runners or less, Saftote will commingle the Win, Place, Swinger, Exacta and Trifecta with the UK Tote pools and if more than 30 runners the race will be run into local pools.
There will be plenty of interest with the entire meeting being covered by Tellytrack.
This was the word from Phumelela’s Mervin (note the spelling!) Gamble when he spoke to the Sporting Post earlier this week.
“The bet types will be Win, Place, Swinger, Exacta, Trifecta and Quartet on all races. We will run a Jackpot on the last 4 races and a Pick 3 on the last 3. Then we will also offer a Bipot if 6 races or a PA there are 7 races or more,” said Gamble.
Thursday Deadline
A total of 74 horses made the most recent deadline on 24 March – though four have since been withdrawn – with declarations on Monday and the final field being confirmed today.
AP McCoy, who is set to compete in the race for the final time before retiring, is expected to ride the favourite, Shutthefrontdoor, who is owned by JP McManus and trained by Jonjo O’Neill in Gloucestershire.
The weights continue to be headed by Lord Windermere on 11st 10lb. The nine-year-old won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2014 and could bid to become only the third horse to win both races following Golden Miller and L’Escargot.
Six of the first seven horses home in last year’s National remain listed, headed by the victorious Pineau De Re.
Fairer Sex?
Katie Walsh
Katie Walsh was 12 metres away from becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National at Aintree when achieving her historic third-placed finish on Seabass in 2012
Female jockeys have ridden in the race 23 times since Charlotte Brew on 200-1 shot Barony Fort, who refused to jump the fourth last fence as the first lady rider in 1977.
Nina Carberry, wife of Katie Walsh’s brother Ted, is most experienced – finishing on three of four starts, with Character Building (seventh, 2010) best. Rosemary Henderson was fifth when aged 51 on her own 100-1 shot Fiddlers Pike in 1994
In 2005, Carrie Ford came fifth on Forest Gunner. The pair won the 2004 Fox Hunters’ Chase over the National fences 10 weeks after Ford gave birth to her daughter Hannah.
The Grand National Festival runs from today 9th to Saturday 11 April.
For the Grand National final field with all the latest on the going and state of play, stay with us on www.sportingpost.co.za
