Grand National Trial 2014

It’s usually a Venetia Williams horse or one with a low weight that wins these races, in this case it was both! Wouldn’t take out any of the horses today for the National, Aintree will be a completely different ball game.

totally agree I don’t know why they call things trail races like grand national trail, ie its not Aintree, only a few of the field actually go on to run in the Aintree show piece

vf

Oh the contrary, Steve. That was a cracking race to watch in my opinion.

I prefer to see them properly sorted out and coming home at wide margins rather than finishing fresh as they often do on the summer ground. I feel like the best (or best handicapped) horse tends to win on heavy ground – it’s a

pure

result. Otherwise, it often comes down to which jockey kicks at the right time.

I don’t really agree that the best horse wins on heavy. You would need a good few stats to persuade me of that. A 16/1 shot won, indicating that neither the best, nor the best handicapped horse won.

I agree it was a "Pure" result…. Pure sh*te LOL

Oh the contrary, Steve. That was a cracking race to watch in my opinion.

I prefer to see them properly sorted out and coming home at wide margins rather than finishing fresh as they often do on the summer ground. I feel like the best (or best handicapped) horse tends to win on heavy ground – it’s a

pure

result. Otherwise, it often comes down to which jockey kicks at the right time.

I don’t really agree that the best horse wins on heavy. You would need a good few stats to persuade me of that. A 16/1 shot won, indicating that neither the best, nor the best handicapped horse won.

I agree it was a "Pure" result…. Pure sh*te LOL

I agree, and I disagree with you Steve. I’m not going to argue he was the best horse in the race, but I think he was extremely well handicapped. I posted this above…..
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I’m having a bit of e/w too in the shape of Rigidin De Beauchene. I think Venetia Williams has her yard in rude health at the moment, and this is just the type of slog through the mud that her horses relish. Admittedly RDB has not run since the Scottish National, where he was pulled up after making a horlicks of the 15th. He ran in this race last year and was a decent second to a well treated blot on the handicap of Gary Moore’s, Well Refreshed, who was promptly raised 13lbs for that. He also finished 9 lengths ahead of Monbeg Dude that day.

He is running off the same mark of 131, and I’m hoping that Venetia has had this as the plan since that race. Paddy Power and Coral still have him at 16/1 at this point, but I don’t think that will be his price come the off.
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I could have added that he was 12lbs better off against last years winner, and as he was running off the same mark as last year, this gave him a very good chance, I don’t understand why the handicapper wasn’t harder on him for that run, only raising him 2lbs which he subsequently took off for this race.

He ran two races after that, the first at Sandown three weeks later,where he tired, which was likely as a result of the hard race at Haydock, and the second, the Scottish Grand National, was on ground which was too quick for him, and he made a bad mistake which finished his race.

The only worry I had was whether Venetia had him fit enough, but that turned out not to be a worry. The manner in which he won suggested he was very well handicapped and I expect the handicapper not to miss him this time round. If he keeps fit and the ground stays soft, with him having had just one run this season I think there is another good win to be had with him this year. He is entered in a race at Wetherby on Tuesday (18th), but I have my doubts they will run him again so soon.

He was a great pick on your part. I couldn’t see him doing it first time out this year but there is no doubt the stable’s horses seem to relish mud when compared to other yards. 2lbs rise was certainly more than fair and it shows how fortunes turn around from one year to the next with last year’s winner Well Refreshed looking Well Rodgered this year.

I have never been a lover of watching races where only half the field get round and where those who do complete are coming home in different time zones. Must be old age creeping in, I’ll be voting Conservative if this keeps up!