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Elliott had five runners as did Mullins. Twenty six of the forty runners came from Ireland. I suspect the sway to Ireland will be somewhat different this year.
Thanks
VF x
Minella Crooner at 40s ew is my first bet here. He’s available at 66s with some firms which I think is a great price considering he has been backed into favouritism for the Bobbyjo today. His performance at Tramore was eyecatching, I think he’ll stay all day and I don’t think he necessarily needs deep ground, having come a good second in a Nathaniel Lacy on yielding and also won his beginners- beating I Am Maximus- on yielding.
New favourite in the Grand National
I Am Maximus, after he won the Bobbyjo giving 12 lbs and a 14 length beating to Vanillier.
tbh I suspect he was the only one of the four runners to show anything like its form.
Value Is EverythingSorry to be boring, but that might be your Grand National winner right there.
While it’s possible he was the only one to run his race, on balance I think it unlikely and he’s pulverised Vanillier to win by 14 going away on worse terms than they will meet on at Aintree.
Young, progressive, Irish National winner as a novice – what’s not to like?
“He can’t jump, Ian, you muppet!”
Err, it’s a 4m2f Fixed Brush Hurdle with spruce garnish nowadays.
I’d already organised taking advantage of Hills NRNB market and he’s in my portfolio at 25/1 NRNB. #Justcallmemike
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Considering he’s out to his left quite a lot its surprising how well he takes to Fairyhouse. Despite that enjoyment of Fairyhouse you’d imagine his reassessed mark will force them to Aintree rather than defending his Irish crown now the weights are out for Aintree and there are no penalties. He’s got a very unorthodox way of doing things, quite ugly at times to be frank and people will crab that but its hard to argue with an Irish National winner in those colours who beat one of the market leaders in the Arkle in a novice G1 this season. And he’ll be very well in under his new mark probably. Only way I can see him being toppled as fav is if Corach Rambler went very close in the Gold Cup.
IAM may have improved a bit, just not as much as the line through Vanillier suggests.
Value Is EverythingIt’s whether he can get into a jumping rhythm at Aintree. Mullins said “I thought it was a magnificent performance considering how badly he jumped going away from the stands.”
He was ok with it at Fairyhouse, a track that he likes, in a 4 runner field. Aintree a different ball game. If he takes to it he’ll go well.
Vanillier wouldn’t have liked the ground as deep as it was at Fairyhouse today but it was a step in the right direction. We know he can handle the Aintree course. And his jockey was happy enough… “I’m very happy and I think he’s run better in the race this year than he did last year. There was a lot higher quality horses in the race this year. He’s probably got going a bit early in the race, but I wanted to get a proper race into him as I didn’t think they were going to go quick. Without forcing him I was trying to force the tempo of the race. I think he ran well.”
Take I Am Maximus out of the race and Vanillier beats Minella Crooner by 11 and I doubt if many are saying Vanillier has run below form.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Vanillier was top rated for the Grand National by Timeform before today.
If Vanillier ran to form, then (at 1 lb per length) I Am Maximus would be around 18 lbs clear of any other horse in the National. Even if not rating it 1 lb per length, if Vanillier ran to form he’d surely be the shortest priced ante-post horse we’ve ever seen for the National.Value Is EverythingFair comment, GT, but to put it another way if Vanillier has run to within a stone of his best I Am Maximus surely deserves to be favourite for the race now.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Vanillier drifted from 11-8 to 7-2. The market told you he wasn’t going to win even though he was the antepost National favourite, whereas IAM was backed into evens from 7-4.
I’Am Maximus ran an okay race, early pace was sensible and quicken up towards the end. Vanillier would be fitter come April. Mullins is now fancing the Grand National over the Irish Grand National according to his quote.
“QUOTES: I don’t know how good I AM MAXIMUS is, but he’s certainly improving with every run. I’d imagine he goes for the Grand National, he would look like a Gold Cup horse in time but I’d imagine Aintree is his objective – Willie Mullins, trainer.”
One I need to back, price has gone for Ante Post, but now waiting for on day.
Personally I still like the look of Noble Yeats. If you look back into the history of the race the are a few dual winners, who are not back to back
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.“Fair comment, GT, but to put it another way if Vanillier has run to within a stone of his best I Am Maximus surely deserves to be favourite for the race now”.
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Don’t know about “within a stone” and don’t know about outright favourite, Chezza…. As it is so easy to pick holes in the form. The times of the two 3m1f+ races were both over a minute “slow” of Racing Post Standard. A stayer that handled bottomless ground was needed and he was the only one in the four runner field. Vanillier’s best form is all on better ground, Minella Crooner was unlikely to stay and Fury Road was out of form anyway. But considering he’s already shown capable of winning a 27 runner Grand National, ran as well as ever if not better than ever yesterday and is probably capable of better still… imo I Am Maximus deserves to be at least disputing favouritism after that, despite possible jumping frailties… Another question is is he as effective on good-soft or good?
Value Is EverythingI wouldn’t be going ott on that race yesterday , the winner gave a nice performance but both I reckon you are looking at a near graded horse now for the GN , neither of these are that
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
“bear graded horse”
It was not until this moment that I realised TRF had finally embraced the 21st century urban dictionary.
Love it tbf – u no dat.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“The market told you he wasn’t going to win”
Not all horses who drift get beaten and not all horses who shorten up win.
I regard remarks like this as yet another form of aftertiming tbh.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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