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Just watching the replay back and High Class Hero absolutely smashed a hole in one of the fences at the half way point.
Then he not only missed the second last but made an absolute bollocks of the last which finished him.
Don’t think I’ll go as close on a 133/1 shot for a long long time. Bowen has missed some opportunity there.
“I wouldn’t be too critical of Jones. He gave the horse a good, enterprising ride and has only been beaten by two good horses,”
He will know he went too soon he won’t need anyone to tell him that.
The race was another example of this being a graded staying chase not a national , the winner is a very talented horse but would he win over the proper national distance/fences … no
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
HDLG. The old National distance would be no issue for him but the fences certainly would.
He literally beat Galopin Des Champs at Christmas. The National is more like a handicap version of the Gold Cup nowadays such is the class of horse it takes to win it.
I’m angry at myself for searching for value when I knew he was the one horse in the race which would guarantee you a good run for your money. I backed him for my niece earlier and she was absolutely delighted.
He wouldn’t get beyond the first circuit , he’s a fine horse but ITV mentioning him in the same breath as rummy …no
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Despite the fallers today, the National is not the same jumping test now. Look at the mistakes some horses made and got away with.
It is stamina that wins the race nowadays and I Am Maximus has it in abundance.
“He will know he went too soon he won’t need anyone to tell him that.”
If he had hung onto him, he would have been beaten by further. There is no way he would have matched the finishing burst of the winner.
CAS, I tend to disagree a bit about that. Nowadays it’s the pace that genuine G1 horses can go even in a National that forces the “real” handicapper to make mistakes and be out of his depth.
Iroko should be running G1 races and not be kept in Conditions’ company just to preserve a reasonable National mark.Another dramatic and historic National. An incredible weight carrying performance by the favourite and with a 121 record, Maximus deserves fully to be mentioned alongside Red Rum. Yes you can say the fences were much tougher in the 70s , but then the fences in 70s were easier than what faced Reynoldstown in 35-36 so let’s not carp. Willie M equals another of Dr Vincent O’Briens achievements in doing a triple, and remarkably a British trained horse finished 2nd . I wonder if Willie fancies having a crack at The Derby ? Thanks to a fantastic four timer, including Heidi Palin beating the mighty Townend , Dan can look over his shoulder without fear, despite the £600k or so added to Willie’s coffers.
A 41% casualty rate of falls or unseats is the highest since the modern National changes of 2013 were implemented- this is still not an easy race to win, so lets hear no more of the whingeing about the race being soft or just “a long distance hurdle”.Thankfully all horses are reported safe – you can imagine Monday’s headlines if Quai de Bourbon or Top of the Bill had not got up. Aintree have done all that they can, but you cannot eliminate risk — as racing lovers we as fans accept that as to all participants and owners – but there remain plenty who don’t. I respect the opinions of reasoned opponents, though not the extremists of some organisations, and we can only continue the dialogue. We must remain transparent about welfare and keep striving to look for those incremental gains, whilst preserving the character of this wonderful race.
Today we witness a modern day Grand National legend, what a performance by I Am Maximus.sqme sire as Tiger Roll and big weight didn’t scare them away last year when not at his best or this year either
And today under top weight they believed in the horse
Vf x
“He will know he went too soon he won’t need anyone to tell him that.”
“If he had hung onto him, he would have been beaten by further. There is no way he would have matched the finishing burst of the winner.”
I agree with that, he took the bull by the horns when the opportunity was there and went for it.
If he’d been a short price favourite it may have been a fair point but he was an outsider and wasn’t beaten far.Aintree Racecourse uodate
Mr Vango walked onto the horse ambulance following his fall at the becbers brook was assessed, and returned to the stable in ambulance where he underwent further expert veterinary assessment. He has travelled to Leahurst Equine Hospital for further tests. Fingers crossed for him
Top of The Bill fine to go home
Quai De Bourbon walked will return home overnight.
VF x
Thanks for this VF. Fingers crossed for Mr Vango. Great that the others are going home.
No problem hopefully he will be fine, he did have his forelegs caught in reins which at first made me think he had injured them. But he did fall steeply and onto head. The horse that came down right in front of him did not help, as that I believe he had his eye on
VF x
“Spare a thought for Nicky Henderson having trained a two time Grand National winner.”
Would he have been campaigned the same if he was at Seven Barrows and had the opportunity?
“Thankfully all horses are reported safe – you can imagine Monday’s headlines if Quai de Bourbon or Top of the Bill had not got up. Aintree have done all that they can, but you cannot eliminate risk — as racing lovers we as fans accept that as to all participants and owners – but there remain plenty who don’t.”
Although we do accept the risks BurrougHillLad and have an understanding of the sport, I do question the feelings of the masses in between us the supporters and the other end of the spectrum, the antis.
The papers are fickle, it’s news today and onto something else tomorrow and social media to a large extent the same.
The people we work and socialize with I believe are fairly indifferent. They don’t like to see any horses injured or die, but they also don’t have a vested interest either. Look at the people attending Aintree, especially today. So many were there for the day and have a good time and if there had been a fatality, how many wouldn’t attend again?
None will be talking about Gold Dancer next week, let alone next year.
That doesn’t mean the sport can be complacent, or ignore political comment and activists, but it has to accept that it can only do so much in the name of horse welfare without removing all the fences completely…..and even then it won’t stop fatalities. Gewan as a recent example.
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