2023 Grand National

Royale Pagaille for me. Lightly raced this season and will have his prep via the Gold Cup. Rich Ricci only has one other entry (Burrows Saint), so would be confidant that he’s at least going to run.

Why is this early qualifying date for Iwilldoit to qualify different to the later qualifying date for a horse to be placed over 2m7f? (ie Authorised Art above)

Why early dates at all? And as there are early dates, why different early dates to qualify? The BHA or whoever could help their case by actually explaining why they do it like that.

Surely, if Iwilldoit has run six times over fences by the time of the race, that should suffice? He could go to the Ultima, win that, and then not appear in the GN despite having run six times over fences and won four of them, including a super-competitive handicap at the Festival. Ludicrous.

While I am at it, this early weights thing is, frankly, out of date, old-fashioned and needs to be abandoned, or at least be moved until after Cheltenham. But that won’t happen either, will it? “It’s always been like this!” isn’t a good enough answer.

Iwilldoit looks to not be going to Aintree this year, rethinking my selections I fancy Remastered on similar lines, plus might have a small punt on Conflated should he make the line up, or at least wait until non runner, no bet terms.

Could be embarrassing for the bookmakers if he did, as they removed him from their betting.

This year’s Randox Grand National has been ruled out for Iwilldoit even if he secures late qualification for the race by running at Ascot on Saturday.

Connections of Iwilldoit have lamented the qualifying criteria for the National, with last month’s Classic Chase winner needing one more run over fences before the end of the weekend to have contested the required six chases in order to compete at Aintree.

Iwilldoit was unable to run at Newbury last weekend due to the good going and the same scenario is predicted to unfold this week despite his entry in the LK Bennett Swinley Handicap Chase.

The going at Ascot is described as good with watering taking place and minimal rain forecast before the weekend.

Iwilldoit’s trainer Sam Thomas said: “We stuck him in at the weekend in case there was rain, but it’s very doubtful he’ll run as the ground has gone.

“He won’t be running in the Grand National this year anyway. It’ll be more for next season.”

The founder of the syndicate that owns Iwilldoit called last week for a review of the qualifying criteria horses have to pass to be eligible for the National.

Chris Morgan, who runs Diamond Racing, pointed to Iwilldoit’s record of four wins from five starts over fences, including the Welsh Grand National, Classic Chase and Welsh Grand National Trial, as evidence that he would be a suitable horse for the Aintree contest.

“He’s run in five chases and won four of them and it seems strange that he has to run in another one to qualify. Possibly they should look at the type of chases a horse wins, whether it’s a Graded or Class 2 race,” he said. “At the same time, you can understand why there is that mark as the Grand National is so testing on a horse.”

The absence of Iwilldoit will further weaken the British challenge for its most famous race. Only 31 of the 85 horses entered for this year’s National are trained in Britain and four of the top five in the betting are in Irish yards.

Those include last year’s winner Noble Yeats, whose success for trainer Emmet Mullins made it five wins for Ireland in the last six editions.

Source from RP.

Thought I’d get my opinion down on the Grand National Trial (2.40 Haydock)

Cloudy Glen (OR 145) Tried to make all the running, but weakened in run in.

Cloudy Glen, had run only twice since winning last season’s Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury, but he has shown he can go well when fresh before and he produced a fine effort here, jumping well in the main. A best priced 50-1 for the Grand National, there would be worse outsiders in the big race.

Probably needs to settle if running in April.

Quick Wave (OR 148). Favourite when pulled up on soft ground in the Welsh National last time, bounced back to the form of her earlier success at Sandown, seeing off the determined runner-up in a stirring battle from the last fence. She stays particularly well and would be worth her place in the Grand National, for which she was cut to 25-1.

QUOTES: QUICK WAVE is a lovely mare and Venetia and the team had her spot on today. She’s an exceptionally good trainer and I’m just so thankful for her faith to put me back on this mare. I probably ended up a bit closer to the inner than I’d have liked, but we saved ground where we could and she’s travelled strongly and stayed well. She’s the ideal mare for a race like this, and she appreciated being back on this ground after the Welsh National – Harry Bannister, jockey.

My conclusion: Was impressed by her battle with former National runner Snow Leopardess. Not saying she’s a winner, but think she is a serious contender. However her Official Ratings will rise for this win.

You’re perfectly right, Chezza.
When I don’t know the gender of whom I’m writing about my default mode is always male.

Following up my earlier brief post:

William Hill offer NRMB (Non runner money back) for the Randox Grand National – EW to 5 places. At 100/1 I think Hill Sixteen is 3 or 4 times the price he should be. He has yet to be seen this season, but that is a deliberate tactic from his trainer Sandy Thomson, who specialises in staying chasers.

A few weeks ago Sandy said:

“Last season we got him out of Nigel Twiston-Davies’s stable and on only his second run for us he put up a career-best effort when a nose second behind Snow Leopardess in the Becher Chase, and that was followed by a good fourth in the Listed Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster. This season I thought the Grand National Trial at Haydock would be ideal, but as it falls the weekend before the National weights are announced he will not be going there. I have no intention of running him before the Aintree weights are out so he will go for either the Premier Chase or the Eider. This fellow is a proper stayer.”

Hill Sixteen is 10. Aside from that nose defeat in the 2021 Becher Chase, he was 7th of 22 in the 2022 running. Currently on an official rating of 143, he ought to get into the final field, especially this year with such a reduced entry.

I strongly recommend a fiver EW on him, and you can have some fun by putting him in some small multiple bets with some of your Cheltenham fancies!

Good luck