So the weights are out. There were never going to be many surprises, aside from the fact that Tiger Roll's connections will wait and see before committing to the race. Here they are with any adjustment from Irish or UK marks shown.
|
Horse |
Irish |
UK |
GN |
Diff |
|
Santini |
0 |
167 |
167 |
0 |
|
Easysland |
0 |
0 |
167 |
|
|
Bristol de Mai |
0 |
169 |
167 |
-2 |
|
Tiger Roll |
0 |
0 |
166 |
|
|
Delta Work |
168 |
0 |
166 |
-2 |
|
Presenting Percy |
168 |
0 |
166 |
-2 |
|
The Storyteller |
165 |
0 |
165 |
0 |
|
Chris's Dream |
164 |
0 |
164 |
0 |
|
Battleoverdoyen |
160 |
0 |
162 |
2 |
|
Yala Enki |
0 |
160 |
160 |
0 |
|
Ballyoptic |
0 |
158 |
158 |
0 |
|
Definitly Red |
0 |
158 |
158 |
0 |
|
Lake View Lad |
0 |
157 |
157 |
0 |
|
Magic of Light |
155 |
0 |
156 |
1 |
|
Burrows Saint |
156 |
0 |
156 |
0 |
|
Ajas |
0 |
0 |
156 |
|
|
Anibale Fly |
150 |
0 |
155 |
5 |
|
Tout Est Permis |
153 |
0 |
155 |
2 |
|
Acapella Bourgeois |
155 |
0 |
155 |
0 |
|
Aso |
0 |
155 |
155 |
0 |
|
Mister Malarky |
0 |
155 |
155 |
0 |
|
Talkischeap |
0 |
155 |
155 |
0 |
|
Bellshill |
0 |
153 |
153 |
0 |
|
Beware The Bear |
0 |
153 |
153 |
0 |
|
Kimberlite Candy |
0 |
153 |
153 |
0 |
|
Pym |
0 |
153 |
153 |
0 |
|
Alpha des Obeaux |
146 |
0 |
152 |
6 |
|
Any Second Now |
151 |
0 |
152 |
1 |
|
Balko des Flos |
151 |
0 |
152 |
1 |
|
Al Roc |
0 |
152 |
152 |
0 |
|
Brahma Bull |
150 |
0 |
151 |
1 |
|
Champagne Classic |
151 |
0 |
151 |
0 |
|
Ok Corral |
0 |
151 |
151 |
0 |
|
Articulum |
149 |
0 |
150 |
1 |
|
Jett |
150 |
0 |
150 |
0 |
|
Shattered Love |
150 |
0 |
150 |
0 |
|
Takingrisks |
0 |
150 |
150 |
0 |
|
The Jam Man |
150 |
0 |
150 |
0 |
|
Milan Native |
147 |
0 |
149 |
2 |
|
Class Conti |
149 |
0 |
149 |
0 |
|
Discorama |
149 |
0 |
149 |
0 |
|
Lord du Mesnil |
0 |
149 |
149 |
0 |
|
Potters Corner |
0 |
149 |
149 |
0 |
|
The Conditional |
0 |
149 |
149 |
0 |
|
Cabaret Queen |
147 |
0 |
148 |
1 |
|
Cloth Cap |
0 |
148 |
148 |
0 |
|
Minellacelebration |
0 |
148 |
148 |
0 |
|
Robin des Foret |
148 |
0 |
148 |
0 |
|
Vieux Lion Rouge |
0 |
148 |
148 |
0 |
|
The Long Mile |
145 |
0 |
147 |
2 |
|
Canelo |
0 |
147 |
147 |
0 |
|
Give Me A Copper |
0 |
147 |
147 |
0 |
|
Glen Forsa |
0 |
147 |
147 |
0 |
|
Yorkhill |
0 |
147 |
147 |
0 |
|
Farclas |
144 |
0 |
146 |
2 |
|
Minella Times |
144 |
0 |
146 |
2 |
|
Agusta Gold |
146 |
0 |
146 |
0 |
|
Hogan's Height |
0 |
146 |
146 |
0 |
|
Sub Lieutenant |
0 |
146 |
146 |
0 |
|
Ami Desbois |
0 |
145 |
145 |
0 |
|
Blaklion |
0 |
145 |
145 |
0 |
|
Double Shuffle |
0 |
145 |
145 |
0 |
|
Gold Present |
0 |
145 |
145 |
0 |
|
Keeper Hill |
0 |
145 |
145 |
0 |
|
Moyhenna |
145 |
0 |
145 |
0 |
|
Some Neck |
142 |
0 |
144 |
2 |
|
Death Duty |
144 |
0 |
144 |
0 |
|
Secret Reprieve |
0 |
144 |
144 |
0 |
|
Rocky's Treasure |
0 |
143 |
143 |
0 |
|
Cap du Nord |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Deise Aba |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Fagan |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Golan Fortune |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Jerrysback |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Kauto Riko |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Storm Control |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Valtor |
0 |
142 |
142 |
0 |
|
Saturnas |
143 |
0 |
142 |
-1 |
|
Another Venture |
0 |
140 |
140 |
0 |
|
Captain Drake |
0 |
140 |
140 |
0 |
|
Crievehill |
0 |
140 |
140 |
0 |
|
Run Wild Fred |
140 |
0 |
140 |
0 |
|
The Hollow Ginge |
0 |
140 |
140 |
0 |
|
Fitzhenry |
136 |
0 |
139 |
3 |
|
Flying Angel |
0 |
139 |
139 |
0 |
|
Le Breuil |
0 |
139 |
139 |
0 |
|
Prime Venture |
0 |
139 |
139 |
0 |
|
Plan of Attack |
137 |
0 |
138 |
1 |
|
Roaring Bull |
137 |
0 |
138 |
1 |
|
A Toi Phil |
0 |
138 |
138 |
0 |
|
Achille |
0 |
138 |
138 |
0 |
|
Dounikos |
138 |
0 |
138 |
0 |
|
Hold The Note |
0 |
138 |
138 |
0 |
|
Treacysenniscorthy |
136 |
0 |
137 |
1 |
|
Musical Slave |
0 |
137 |
137 |
0 |
|
Soupy Soups |
0 |
137 |
137 |
0 |
|
Hear No Evil |
130 |
0 |
136 |
6 |
|
Beau Bay |
0 |
136 |
136 |
0 |
|
Shantou Flyer |
0 |
136 |
136 |
0 |
|
Monbeg Notorious |
134 |
0 |
135 |
1 |
|
Aforementioned |
133 |
0 |
134 |
1 |
|
Saint Xavier |
0 |
134 |
134 |
0 |
|
Fingerontheswitch |
0 |
132 |
132 |
0 |
|
One Style |
0 |
132 |
132 |
0 |
|
Bellow Mome |
131 |
0 |
131 |
0 |
My two current fancies are big enough prices at the moment. Milan Native
is still around at 50s despite Gordon Elliott giving him a special mention in
his post-weights interview. Some Neck will likely run in the Cross Country at
Cheltenham (where I also have high hopes for him), which has proven no barrier
to performing well in this race in the past. He’s 66s but NRNB (50s) is advised
as he’ll be near the foot of the weights and this appears to be less his
target.
But neither the weights nor my fancies are what I’m writing about.
With the National weights coming out almost two months before the event itself,
many if not most horses will have a prep run or two to put themselves right for the
big event. Unlike for other events such as the Welsh National and Betfair
Hurdle where weights are announced in advance, there are no penalties for
winning a race in the period between now and the National. That means that any
number of horses can run well in their prep race and make themselves well in,
while others can perform badly and see themselves running off higher than their
true mark.
Below, therefore, are some dates for the diary for key prep races
where some of the above contenders will likely head before Aintree. These races
are all chases (some may have a spin over hurdles, but that is unlikely to change
their chase rating) that have been contended by horses running in the last two
editions of the National, along with an extra couple that seem like they could
accommodate this year’s entries. It could pay to react to a head-turning performance
before the bookies do.
|
Date |
Track |
Race |
|
20/02/2021 |
Gowran Park |
Red Mills Chase |
|
20/02/2021 |
Ascot |
Swinley Chase |
|
20/02/2021 |
Haydock |
Grand National Trial |
|
20/02/2021 |
Wincanton |
Betway Handicap Chase |
|
21/02/2021 |
Newbury |
Denman Chase |
|
27/02/2021 |
Fairyhouse |
Bobbyjo Chase |
|
27/02/2021 |
Kempton |
3m Handicap Chase |
|
27/02/2021 |
Newcastle |
Eider Chase |
|
06/03/2021 |
Kelso |
Premier Chase |
|
06/03/2021 |
Newbury |
Greatwood Gold Cup |
|
14/03/2021 |
Naas |
Leinster National |
|
16/03/2021 |
Cheltenham |
Ultima Handicap Chase |
|
17/03/2021 |
Cheltenham |
Glenfarclas Cross Country |
|
17/03/2021 |
Down Royal |
3m1f Handicap Chase |
|
18/03/2021 |
Cheltenham |
Festival Plate |
|
19/03/2021 |
Cheltenham |
Cheltenham Gold Cup |
|
19/03/2021 |
Cheltenham |
Kim Muir Challenge Cup |
|
20/03/2021 |
Uttoxeter |
Midlands Grand National |
|
27/03/2021 |
Newbury |
3m2f Handicap Chase |
I will add to this list the horses that have run, their finishing
position and the effect it has had on their marks as we go along, but tune in
for a few trials this weekend!