Agree, only managed to get 25/1 e/w a few days ago though. For some strange reason I am mortified that Pricewise has tipped this up.... (Fourth in last year's running Alvarado should be spot-on for this year's renewal, even though he has had only the one run this season. Fergal O'Brien's charge will be ridden by the experienced Paul Moloney who, (as reported in a Racing Post article of 20th March), with the owners, Mr. & Mrs. Rucker, have a fine record in the race. Last year was the sixth straight time they have made the frame following the exploits of the Evan Williams-trained pair Cappa Bleu and State Of Play).
In the past I have backed State Of Play and Cappa Bleu for the National and 2 years ago I remember backing Alvarado for a handicap at the Cheltenham Open meeting I think it was, he didn't win that day but he was finishing very well up the hill to take 3rd and I felt he was one to follow over a longer trip and he looked a potential National horse. I was on last year and he ran a cracker for 4th, doesn't seem the biggest horse either but jumps well. It would appear the Ruckers are seeking that horse to win the National for them after so many solid efforts on both aforementioned horses and I think Alvarado could well run close for them again this year and it appears he's been kept fresh for it. I didn't put much on at 50's (5 each way) ...then Barney posted to say Pricewise had put him up, the next time I looked Alvarado was 25/1.We all know the nature of the race and if the horse can bag himself a place that's great, a win would be a huge bonus. Any return from the Grand National is good in my view.
It is the sport’s showcase event of the season and yet again the BHA have shot themselves in the foot before the runners have gone to the post. The forty intended runners were declared along with four reserves. On the day before the race, just after eleven in the morning, one of the forty in the original field is declared a non-runner; however, this is deemed too late to substitute a reserve, so only thirty-nine will go to post. If the cut-off time for withdrawals was nine in the morning because the printers needed to be given the details to print the race cards, why not just print the race card with the forty intended runners and the four reserves? Connections of the reserve runner that is participating could be called and told to get their horse to the track for Saturday as they were required once the non-runner was confirmed. If the non runner was the top weight that is tough: leave the weights as they were because jockey bookings will have been made according to the original weights.
GRAND NATIONAL. Three for me. All win bets as its one of the few races where form means nothing and a 33-1 shot has as much chance of winning as a 7-1f. AL CO (25-1) ROCKY CREEK (10-1) GODSMEJUDGE (22-1) I also bet these three in double with Jordan Spieth (12-1) earlier this week so feeling quite positive at the moment.
At least we got something back Swan. Perhaps he's short of what it takes to win but looks like he'd finish in the top 5 every year at his leisure. Maloney's 7th year in a row among the places!
Few points: (i) the race will always, by nature, contain dozens of what ‘ifs’ but the foremost one I pontificated on was what if The Druids Nephew had remained on his feet. Would he have given the county its first GN winner since 1937??? Wasn’t a typical fall at all as the old boy jumped the fence adequately but then seemed to slither on his belly after landing rather than capsize. Up 10 lbs now so compensation in 2016 is going to be oh so much more difficult. (ii) For the past few weeks we were told by the media that Shutthefrontdoor was going to be backed off the boards and returned at something like 3/1 or lower because of the public’s love for THAT man. Such a plunge didn’t happened and he remained at a general 7/1 for the final 10 days until being shortened into 6’s in the final few minutes (a time when those bookies chappies, as normal, trimmed every single horse). Do we therefore conclude that THAT man isn’t really that popular at all??? (iii) Will Mike Tindall’s prizemoney from Monbeg Dude be paid to the taxpayers as some sort of compensation for all the dough he is now getting off us??? I think we all know the answer to that one. (iv) I thought ride of the race went to Liam Treadwell. Nursed Monbeg Dude into the race in such a way that the horse barely knew he was running in such a heat, he preserved the horses energy and then presented him at the elbow with a winning chance. Not his fault that the stamina reserves then ran dry. (v) How the bally blinkin’ ‘eck did Tranquil Sea, who had looked up to Saturday as if he barely stayed 3 miles, finish 7th?!? (vi) the race without Mr Henderson was something of a damp squib. Next term let’s hope and pray he has a runner.
There was a wonderful interview with Mr Henderson after the forum’s favourite Corinthian had obliged for him in the ‘Topham’. Mr Henderson leant back on the rails in the ‘winners enclosure’ and regaled the nation with tales of derring do and scrapes that him and the Waley-Cohen’s had got themselves into and overcame triumphantly together over the past couple of decades. The conclusion of which was Mr Henderson playfully challenging the Waley-Cohen’s to find one for him to win the GN with. Now I’ll tell you what if they all combined on a ‘live one’ in the Grand National then you really would see the plunge of all plunges as the nation united behind the 3 most loved individuals in the NH sphere.
