CRABBIE´S GRAND NATIONAL CHASE (Handicap) (Grade 3)(CLASS 1) (7yo+)
- Winner: £561,300
- Runners: 40
- Distance: 4m2f74y Grand National
- Going: Soft
- Channel: CH4
£1,000,000 guaranteed For 7yo+ which, up to and including March 21st, have been placed first, second, third or fourth in a chase with an official distance description of “two miles seven and a half furlongs” or more and which are allotted a rating of 120 or more by the BHA Head of Handicapping following a reviewof the horses entered and after taking account of races run up to and including February 14th. Horses which are not qualified for a rating in Great Britain or Ireland at closing may also be entered. Such horses may be eligible for a weight providing the Handicapper is satisfied that the horse’s racecourse performances up to and including February 14th would merit a minimum rating of 120. To qualify, horses must have run at least three times in Chases run under the Rules of Racing of the same Recognised Racing Authority up to and including February 14th. At the Handicapper’s discretion, such horses may be allocated a rating. The decision of the BHA Head of Handicapping shall be final. Weights highest weight 11st 10lb Minimum weight 10-0Penalties (no penalties after the publication of the weights) Many Clouds’s Handicap Mark 165 Entries125 pay £ 1100 Confirmed 87 Penalty value 1st £561,300.00 2nd £211,100.00 3rd £105,500.00 4th£52,700.00 5th £26,500.00 6th £13,200.00
| NO. FORM |
HORSE | AGE | WGT OR |
JOCKEY TRAINER RTF% |
TS | RPR | ODDS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-6221 |  |
MANY CLOUDS
 27 |
9 |
11-10
165
|
134 | 174 | ||
| 21-22P1 |  |
SILVINIACO CONTI b
49
|
10 |
11-8
163
|
160 | 182 | ||
| 38432P |  |
FIRST LIEUTENANT p
63
|
11 |
11-4
159
|
139 | 173 | ||
| 4783P-2 |  |
WONDERFUL CHARM tp
120
|
8 |
11-3
158
|
156 | 176 | ||
| 5535PP7 |  |
BALLYNAGOUR ht
23
|
10 |
11-2
157
|
128 | 173 | ||
| 6P1P87 |  |
O´FAOLAINS BOY p
22
|
9 |
11-1
156
|
-
|
126 | 176 | No betting |
| 71-3455 |  |
GILGAMBOA
23
|
8 |
11-1
156
|
E Bolger75
|
166 | 179 | |
| 87U4828 |  |
ON HIS OWN p
22
|
12 |
11-1
156
|
124 | 175 | ||
| 91F-662 |  |
THE DRUIDS NEPHEW p
35
|
9 |
11-0
155
|
151 | 172 | ||
| 10P3-15 |  |
TRIOLO D´ALENE
 49 |
9 |
11-0
155
|
132 | 174 | ||
| 11P-2P40 |  |
ROCKY CREEK t
42
|
10 |
10-13
154
|
145 | 176 | ||
| 12F4/157 |  |
SIR DES CHAMPS
63
|
10 |
10-13
154
|
100 | 178 | ||
| 133-54P2 |  |
HOLYWELL b
25
|
9 |
10-12
153
|
144 | 185 | ||
| 1415-3P |  |
SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR tp
35
|
9 |
10-11
152
|
— | 172 | ||
| 159-0413 |  |
SOLL tb
51
|
11 |
10-11
152
|
151 | 169 | ||
| 165-3243 |  |
BUYWISE
70
|
9 |
10-10
151
|
163 | 177 | ||
| 170-50P1 |  |
BOSTON BOB
49
|
11 |
10-10
151
|
143 | 177 | ||
| 18411209 |  |
AACHEN
35
|
12 |
10-10
151
|
135 | 171 | ||
| 193-224 |  |
MORNING ASSEMBLY
25
|
9 |
10-9
150
|
P A Fahy25
|
133 | 175 | |
| 2024599 |  |
DOUBLE ROSS tp
25
|
10 |
10-9
150
|
147 | 173 | ||
| 212-3942 |  |
GOONYELLA tp
 34 |
9 |
10-8
149
|
116 | 172 | ||
| 221P-623 |  |
UCELLO CONTI t
79
|
8 |
10-8
149
|
110 | 169 | ||
| 2380312 |  |
UNIONISTE
27
|
8 |
10-8
149
|
128 | 181 | ||
| 24P02615 |  |
LE REVE b
42
|
8 |
10-8
149
|
152 | 174 | ||
| 253-1U75 |  |
GALLANT OSCAR
34
|
10 |
10-8
149
|
141 | 176 | ||
| 261-1225 |  |
ONENIGHTINVIENNA
49
|
7 |
10-8
149
|
145 | 177 | ||
| 2712-311 |  |
THE LAST SAMURI
35
|
8 |
10-8
149
|
159 | 180 | ||
| 2872-15 |  |
KRUZHLININ
25
|
9 |
10-7
148
|
143 | 177 | ||
| 29S32254 |  |
RULE THE WORLD
34
|
9 |
10-7
148
|
130 | 174 | ||
| 3031-092 |  |
JUST A PAR b
18
|
9 |
10-6
147
|
146 | 172 | ||
| 310/P-P0 |  |
KATENKO
25
|
10 |
10-6
147
|
42 | 168 | ||
| 322-85P6 |  |
VICS CANVAS p
49
|
13 |
10-6
147
|
157 | 173 | ||
| 3357-0U6 |  |
BLACK THUNDER t
63
|
9 |
10-6
147
|
137 | 175 | ||
| 34B-4935 |  |
BALLYCASEY p
23
|
9 |
10-6
147
|
146 | 176 | ||
| 351/6P-7 |  |
HADRIAN´S APPROACH
42
|
9 |
10-6
147
|
148 | 175 | ||
| 36111U26 |  |
VIEUX LION ROUGE p
25
|
7 |
10-5
146
|
148 | 173 | ||
| 3745-15 |  |
PENDRA p
 112 |
8 |
10-5
146
|
100 | 172 | ||
| 3812-671 |  |
SAINT ARE tp
45
|
10 |
10-5
146
|
128 | 178 | ||
| 397P8-46 |  |
HOME FARM t
41
|
9 |
10-4
145
|
— | 173 | ||
| 4077F38 |  |
THE ROMFORD PELE b
24
|
9 |
10-4
145
|
143 | 178 | ||
Betting forecast: 7/1 Many Clouds, 10/1 The Last Samuri, 12/1 Silviniaco Conti, 14/1 Holywell, 14/1 Saint Are, 14/1 The Druids Nephew, 16/1 Gallant Oscar, 16/1 Shutthefrontdoor, 20/1 Goonyella, 20/1 Kruzhlinin, 20/1 Sir Des Champs, 20/1 Ucello Conti, 25/1 Morning Assembly, 25/1 Unioniste, 33/1 Boston Bob, 33/1 First Lieutenant, 33/1 Triolo D´alene, 40/1 Le Reve, 40/1 On His Own, 40/1 Onenightinvienna, 40/1 The Romford Pele, 40/1Wonderful Charm, 50/1 Buywise, 50/1 Gilgamboa, 50/1 Hadrian´s Approach, 50/1 Just A Par, 50/1 Rocky Creek, 50/1 Rule The World, 50/1 Soll, 66/1 Aachen, 66/1 Ballycasey, 66/1 Ballynagour, 66/1 Black Thunder, 66/1 Double Ross, 66/1 Home Farm, 66/1 Katenko, 66/1 Pendra, 66/1 Vics Canvas, 66/1 Vieux Lion Rouge.
Many Clouds was a very good winner of this race last year but it will be that much harder today and he can meet his match in the steely competitor HOLYWELL (nap), who has a terrific record at the spring festivals and is an accurate enough jumper to think he will cope with these fences. Last year´s second Saint Are has a good chance of running well again and he is respected, along with The Last Samuri, who has looked highly promising for his new yard this winter, and Goonyella, an out-and-out stayer, but a slog like this might be too much for Silviniaco Conti.
Many Clouds continues to attract support at the head of the market
PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
Grand National course soft after 7mm of rain
THE GOING on the Grand National course was soft, good to soft in places on Saturday morning following 7mm of rain overnight.
Having been good to soft on Friday, the going eased after what was more rain than had been expected overnight.
The ground was also soft, good to soft in places on the hurdle course, while on the Mildmay, it remained good to soft.
More showers are forecast for later in the morning although it was bright and sunny start to the day on Merseyside.
Clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch confirmed: “We had 7mm of rain overnight and the forecast is for a bright, sunny day with the possibility of showers after lunchtime.”
Good ground horses drift
Unsurprisingly, horses who would prefer better ground were weak in the markets overnight, with BetVictor pushing Saint Are out to 18-1 from 16-1.
Shutthefrontdoor was also 18-1 from 16-1, with Holywell out to 14-1.
The firm also reported Silviniaco Conti to have been weak, with title-chasing Paul Nicholls’ charge out to 14-1 from 12-1.
Many Clouds continues to be well supported as 8-1 favourite, with The Last Samuri and Morning Assembly backed, along with O’Faolains Boy, who was 25-1 from 40-1.
Many Clouds will bid to emulate Red Rum in Saturday’s Grand National
PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
History beckons for Many Clouds and Aspell
A PLACE alongside Red Rum in the Aintree Hall of Fame awaits last year’s winner Many Clouds if he follows up in today’s Crabbie’s Grand National, while rider Leighton Aspell bids for an unprecedented third straight victory.
No horse since the legendary Red Rum in 1974 has won back-to-back Nationals, but not many will have a better chance than the Oliver Sherwood-trained nine-year-old, who carries just 1lb more than 12 months ago.
RELATED LINKS, Grand National card
Owned by National enthusiast Trevor Hemmings, who is bidding for his fourth win in the race, Many Clouds has been aimed at the National all season – it was an afterthought following the Cheltenham Gold Cup last term.
‘I am chilled and relaxed’
Creditable efforts in conditions chases at Aintree and Cheltenham were followed by a fluent success at Kelso 27 days ago, and things have gone smoothly since.
Sherwood said: “I am very chilled and relaxed. Everything has gone right since Kelso. On form he is certainly on a par with where he was last year and ticks all the boxes for Aintree.
“He stays, he has jumped the fences and he goes on the ground. There will be question marks about others.
“But you need so much luck in running. You need only to look at the Jockey Cam footage from last year’s race, when Leighton pulled out just at the right time. A horse can fall in front of you and the race is over. It’s not just your performance, it’s the 39 others.
“There is more expectancy this time, but I can do no more now. It comes down to luck, the horse and Leighton.”
Sherwood added: “It’s a great privilege to be in a position to be possibly compared with Red Rum, but I don’t expect it, I just hope for it.”
Aspell chases hat-trick
Aspell, who also won on Pineau De Re in 2014, is the eighth jockey to have attempted a Grand National hat-trick but would be the first to succeed if successful.
“The stats and history may be against us but I’m in one piece, Many Clouds and I have a great association and his ratings have improved year by year as he has strengthened,” said Aspell.
“This season his couple of runs against Smad Place and Don Poli showed he’s as good or better than ever. His run at Kelso last time was great and he’s in great nick.”
fonte : RacingPost
