I intend to preview the Grand National after completing my review of the Cheltenham Festival, but having looked at the odds comparison I have noticed that Bet 365 have gone NRNB on the race and there is a danger that a couple of my selections are likely to shorten, so I have backed them each way this evening.
JAGWAR – 1 pt each way (1/4 odds for 5 places) @ 12/1
SPILLANE’S TOWER – 0.5 pts each way (1/4 odds for 5 places) @ 33/1 – generally 20/1 elsewhere.
I will share my full shortlist and reasoning for my selections later this week.
Betting bank now 110.01 (with 3.0 pts of antepost bets booked).
After thar brief interlude, I am back reviewing the festival graded action for Wednesday.
The Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle over 2 miles and 5 furlongs was the first race of the day, but with 21 runners lining up I felt that the it was unlikely to produce any top quality performances, which proved to be true.
KING RASKO GREY – recorded his second victory from three starts over hurdles, for which he was awarded a career best RPR of 147. However, this figure is fully 8 lbs below the previous lowest winning rating achieved during the past decade, which suggests that the form of this renewal is very weak. The winner will certainly need to make massive improvement if he is to be competitive in Grade 1 open races next season.
Next up was the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices Chase over 3 miles and 1 furlong.
KITZBUHEL – maintained his unbeaten record over fences when completing to beat his stablemate FINAL DEMAND by 2 3/4 lengths, for which he was handed a career best RPR of 160. However, that figure is the joint worst winning rating during the past decade, only matched by last year’s winner, LECKIE WATSON, who has failed to trouble the judges in five subsequent starts, which again suggest that the form of this race is relatively weak.
The main attraction on Wednesday was the Grade 1 Champoin Chase over 2 miles, in which the odds on favourite MAJBOROUGH finished a well beaten seventh, after his trait for jumping poorly resurfaced.
IL ETAIT TEMPS – picked up the pieces in grand style to win by 10 lengths and in doing so recorded his eighth victory over fence from just eleven attempts. Although he was only awarded an RPR of 172 for this win, it does represent his best effort from 3 attempts at Cheltenham, albeit he does appear to prefer Sandown, where he has 2 emphatic victories in Grade 1 chases with career best RPRs of 175 and 176. He remains in my tracker and will be of interest if attempting to win a second consecutive Celebration Chase at his favourite track at the end of April.
The final Grade 1 on Wednesday was the Champion Bumper National Hunt Flat Race.
THE MOURNE RAMBLER – was one of the stronger candidates for this race and duly obliged by 2 3/4 lengths, recording a career best RPR of 132. However, his winning figure is the joint second lowest during the past decade, suggesting that the bare form is only moderate, albeit I strongly suspect that like previous years many of the participants will go on to win over both hurdles and fences.
I will return with my thoughts on Thursday’s action tomorrow.
