Well, Channel 4 takes quite a bit of stick at times on the forum, but I thought they did a good job today. Plus all horses and jockeys back safe and sound too. Really enjoyed this year's Grand National. Great to see a the good doctor and his tiny stable win it, five full-time employees for goodness sake!
Agreed with most of this particularly the small yard bit - fantastic. Graham Cunningham however is and remains a complete and utter fookwit!
I thought it was awful coverage today. They hardly looked at a horse in the earlier races, then they go off broadcast exactly the same time as the 5.10 starts. Throw in an advert for Maltesers five minutes before the race when it all should be building and I might go get RUK/ATR online instead. Really annoyed.
Agree the coverage was pretty abysmal. I spent most the time just flicking rather than listen to the nonsense in the build up, or lack of it to the races.
I don't know if any will agree with me but I think BALTHAZAR KING would probably have won today had he not run in the Cross Country at the Festival. He is a horse who goes best fresh and that was a pretty tough race three weeks ago. Festival winners just don't come here and win this (yes I know the exceptions). Had he come straight here I think he would have won! Take nothing away from the winner though, yet another that was easy to pick after the race!
Hard to know for sure stick he ran a blinder today in fairness and to suggest he would have been even better without Cheltenham is pretty hard to say. I don't think he would have run better today without it, the same, perhaps but impossible to say. I know he goes well fresh but maybe the Cheltenham run and the weeks between had him in tip top shape for today. Would you keep him back for a crack at this fresh next year if he was your's?
I do. But I did back him ew. I felt even more strongly in this vein in 1977, where the connections of my GN fancy, Churchtown Boy, decided to pitch him at the Topham on the Thursday instead. He won that, and they then ran him two days later where he finished second to the 12 year old Red Rum, and tbh, had he not made a horlicks of the second last he possibly would have won, despite his owners!
Whether he would have won, or not, we'll never know but it was a fantastic performance. Came into the race on a 5 timer. No running him down the field to protect his handicap. His connections deserve so much credit and they must be so proud of him. When was the last time a horse came into the race on a 5 timer? And when was the last time a horse who finished 90l behind the winner in a GN got allocated more weight in the next GN, let alone almost win it? I'm fairly sure that, with another trainer, he could have come into the race on 10.2/10.3 and won the race easily.
No I don't think I would. When the weights are out next year he will doubtless get a few pound extra for today. If he were mine I would mop up the Cheltenham Cross Countrys and have a real crack at the Velka Pardubicka. He is a super horse, a bit quirky but he made my day out at Cheltenham with the boys and gave me a good deal of excitement today!
On today's effort the Czech race would be well within his compass. As you all say, a very good horse to have and give's a good account of himself almost always so well done to him and connections.
Having looked through the full result, I think nearly all this year's runners can be ruled out of next year's. The ones I would keep my eye on are: Balthazar King. Hampered twice, giving 7lb to the winner and came off a cross country win at Cheltenham. Came into the race on a 5 timer (obviously no attempt to get weighted). This horse is as honest as they come and clearly doesn't find the GN fences any problem. He will be 11 next year but if he can get in on a decent weight (10.7) he must be on the short list. Double Seven. Ran a decent race for an 8 year old and with another year to strengthen up could be in the mix with a decent weight Rocky Creek. Ran an even better race for an 8yo, lumping 11.5 round on his first attempt beyond 27f. If he gets aimed at the GN next year and squeezes in under 11.0 he would be a hot fancy for me. Across The Bay. He'll be 11 next year but he seems to thrive over these fences and a nice low weight would give him his final, well deserved, shot.
It'll be a whole new ball game next year. A heap of new hopes mixed with those who went around this season. It's all too easy to say that because they went well this year, they'll do the same in 2015. What ever we pick, there's every chance it will do a Teaforthree. The race is a bloody lottery.
Ron, throw in Vespar Bell and Alvarado to that list. Perhaps even the old rogue Vino Griego might be worth a look too.
I'd be happy to let Chance Du Roy carry my cash again Ron should he line up. Short headed for a place but got properly hampered at Valentines first time round which brought him to a stand still. Gave me a great spin for my dough which is all you can ask in the lottery that is the Grand National. Oh and he'll be 11 next year, nailed on!
