The Grand National is the reason I fell in love with horse racing all those years ago, and National Hunt racing in particular.
Whatever your thoughts on the changes to the race over the years (personally I wish they'd never tampered with it) it's still a great spectacle, one that's watched all over the world and the race that I look forward to most of all. And this years renewal didn't disappoint.
There's always a story attached to the winner (last year was the first female jockey to win it) and this year was no different. The amateur jockey Sam Waley Cohen riding in his very last race, having announced his intention to retire after the race earlier in the week. What a way to bow out. Sam may be an amateur but he's one of the most experienced jockeys that there is over the Grand National fences, having rode over them many times...never having won the Grand National itself though. And he's also won a Cheltenham Gold Cup. There are very few professional jockeys who have managed both of those.
He gave Noble Yeats a great ride. However, unless you liked the colours he was wearing or your name is either Noble or Yates / Yeats I can't see why you would have backed him. He has no form whatsoever to suggest that he'd be capable of winning a race like that and he goes against ALL of the trends for the race, most noticeably the fact that no seven year old has won the race since the 1940s. The winning connections must have known something though as they purchased him specifically for the race only recently. If he stays injury free he could run in the race for another few years, although he'll obviously get a hike in the weights.
It was good to see horses at the top of the weights finishing so close too. Second placed Any Second Now carried 11st 8Ibs and third placed Delta Work carried 11st 9Ibs. In fact, of the first six home, only the winner (10st 10Ibs) carried less than 11 stone. I usually discard those horses at the top of the weights but it just goes to show that weight, if the going isn't on the soft to heavy side, isn't necessarily a hindrance these days. There were fifteen finishers which is pretty much the average these days too. There were only six actual fallers, most were either pulled up or unseated the rider.
There was also the usual charge to the first fence. I actually said to my wife as they approached it that there'd be two that went...and there was (Mount Ida who jumped atrociously at the Festival so it was no surprise, and the fancied Enjoy D'allen), both unseating.
As for my bets, I had Fiddlerontheroof (5th) and Longhouse Poet (6th) both each way with Bet365 which paid out on six places so I got my outlay back. Run Wild Fred fell at the 8th and brought down one of my other horses, De Rasher Counter. Typical. My other horse Eclair Surf sadly fell at the third fence (bringing down Anibale Fly) and sustained a serious head injury. Although the vets at Liverpool Veterinary University fought through the night to save him, he sadly succumbed to his injuries the following morning. It's particularly sad for me because he was paraded before us on our recent visit to Emma Lavelle's yard just a couple of weeks ago. He needed eight horses to drop out at that stage so it was touch and go whether he'd actually get in to the race. Indeed it wasn't until two days before that he did actually make the cut. Emma did say that he had a great chance but that he's always inclined to throw in at least one howler jump in a race. Unfortunately that's exactly what he did do....and it cost him his life. Had I been his owner would I have entered him in the race knowing that you just don't get away with being a dodgy jumper over those fences? I doubt it. But it's the most famous race in the world so you can see how they'd be tempted. However Maxine, Eclair Surfs stable lass who paraded him so proudly, went home with an empty horsebox. There's no getting away from that. It's so sad. Discorama was also a fatality having been pulled up with a pelvic injury. The anti horse racing brigade must have had a field day. That part of our great sport does bother me though so I totally respect their point of view.
A much talked about subject is the amount of runners that a trainer or owner is allowed to run in the race. Personally I think it should be limited to three. This year Gordon Elliott had seven runners, Willie Mullins four. So 27.5% of all runners came from just two yards. How is that fair to smaller yards? Also Gigginstown had five runners, as did JP McManus. That's a quarter of the runners from just two owners. Again unfair. The richer owners, in the larger yards are taking all the plunder....or trying to. Thankfully it didn't work this year...although the Waley Cohens aren't exactly short of a few quid themselves. One argument is that, if the horse is good enough for the race, and sits within the official ratings band to be able to run in the race then they're just as entitled to as a single horse owner from a small yard. Technically, yes they are, but that band is flooded with horses from the larger yards and owners so their chances of getting in are reduced considerably. But that's just my opinion and, as I said at the start, they've already tampered with the race too much.
official Ratings