Your Guide to the Grand National 2015

Love the Grand National?


Grand National Trivia

This historic handicap steeplechase is run over 4 mile 4 furlong at Aintree and sponsored by Crabbie's. It was first run in 1839. The Grand National is televised in 140 countries and viewed by an audience of 600 million. Horses jump 30 fences including Bechers' Brook, Foinavon, the Canal Turn &  The Chair over two grueling circuits. 

It is considered the ultimate test of horse & jockey. 

Did you know...

The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt race in Britain. The prize money fund is guaranteed at £1,000,000. Take a look at the Grand National Runners 2015. 

Noted races include...

Tipperary Tim who won in 1928. Amazingly 41 of the 42 runners fell. William Dutton landed the odds at 100/1. This race still holds the record as the fewest number of finishers.

Foinavon proved that you sometimes you need a little bit of luck when winning in 1967. This 100/1 was lagging 100 yards behind the pack when a loose horse named Popham Down caused mayhem at the 23rd fence hampering or unseating most of the field. Foinavon had time to steer round the havoc and none of the opposition had time to catch him.

Red Rum is a true legend of this race winning three times in the 1970s. Trained by the late Ginger McCain, he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 & 1977. He finished second in 1975 & 1976. 

Few people will ever forget Bob Champion's win in 1981 aboard Aldantini. Two years before this race, Champion had been given only months to live after being diagnosed with cancer. Aldaniti had recovered from chronic leg problems but the pair went on to beat SpartanMissile by four and half lengths in an emotional victory. Their story was made into a film, Champions, starring John Hurt.

Grand National Records:

Fastest winning time: Mr Frisk (1990) 8 minute 48 seconds
Oldest winning horse: Peter Simple (1853) 15 years 
Youngest winning jockey: Bruce Hobbs (1938) 17 years old
Longest winning odds: 5 horses have won at 100/1
Largest field: (1929) 66 runners
Smallest field: (1883) 10 runners

Who will win this year?

The National always has its story to tell and with A P McCoy [pictured] retiring at the end of the season it comes as no surprise to see Shutthefrontdoor at 7/1. Favourites have often failed miserably in the big race. Trained by Jonjo O'Neill and owned by the legendary gambler J P McManus there's little doubt racing pundits will be heralding this gelding as the big story. 

Other major fancies include Rocky Creek 9/1 who has been in great form and last year's runner-up Balthazar King 10/1. 

If you are looking for a Cheltenham horse heading to Aintree then The Druids Nephew trained by Neil Mullholland could be your bag.   

For many punters last year's easy winner Pineau De Re is a hot tip. Dr Richard Newlands' charge is a similar weight and price at 25/1. Is this another Red Rum in the making? The betting would suggest not but if this gelding makes it two from two wins imagine the scene. At twelve years of age is it possible?  

With 40 runners there is always a chance of a huge priced horse winning. There have been 5 horses win the Grand National at odds of 100/1. The first being Tipping Tim (1928), while Mon Mone hit the target in 2009.  Could we have a 100/1 victory in 2015? One horse who has plenty of stamina is Bob Ford trained by Rebecca Curtis.    

The race which keeps a nation of hearts jumping.
       

Early Indicators for the 2015 Grand National

Ok, yes, it is very early days. The National Hunt season has not even got into full swing yet, but this is the time of year to find the best value on the most valuable steeplechase in the world. Here we will look at some of the main contenders for the big race at Aintree next April to try and point readers in the right direction for an ante-post wager.

Early favourite

According to Betfair, the early favourite for the 4 miles 3 ½ furlongs contest, run over 30 fences is Shutthefrontdoor, trained by Jonjo O’Neill. The seven-year old (who will be eight on the day of the race) shot to the head of the ante-post market with a decisive win in the Irish Grand National back in April. Owned by JP McManus – who has already tasted victory in the race with Don’t Push It back in 2010, the son of Accordion could be a lively contender.

An indication to the merits of Shutthefrontdoor may well lie with Holywell – who beat its stable mate by 3 ¼ lengths at the Cheltenham festival last March, in receipt of 4lbs. Holywell has since climbed to the head of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting after winning at the Aintree meeting, and the horse’s further improvement this season would only boost the form and hopes of Shutthefrontdoor.

Major concerns

Last years’ winner, Pineau De Re will look to buck the trend that goes back to the legendary Red Rum who was the last to record back-to-back Grand National wins in 1973-74. A five-length success over Balthazar King, the Dr Richard Newland trained 11-year old proved too good for the rest of the field and returned a 25/1 winner. The major concerns for Pineau De Re are the facts that no horse has retained the National for 31 years, and he will be 12 years old come April – Amberleigh House is the only 12 year-old to win since 1996 – which must be another negative.

He will also be in the firm grip of the handicapper also after such a convincing performance that is likely to make it a much tougher task. Records are there to be broken however, but the statistics are surely against Pineau De Re this time around.

Potential improvers

A couple of horses who ran with promise in the 2014 race that will hope for improvement are Double Seven, trained in Ireland by Martin Brassil and Paul Nicholls’ Rocky Creek. Double Seven ran a very creditable third place finish back in April under the champion jockey AP McCoy, finishing 6 ¼ lengths behind the winner. Providing that Shutthefrontdoor turns up at Aintree, McCoy will have a serious headache in deciding of which JP McManus horse to choose from, but Double Seven has the course form in the book, which is an obvious plus.

Rocky Creek was touted as a potential Gold Cup horse in the not too distant past, but those lofty aspirations have since faded with some mediocre performances at that level. A fifth-place finish back in April was a very decent effort on the 8-year olds’ first time over the National fences and a crack at the 2015 renewal could well be the gelding’s main target this term.

Lively outsider

One to keep an eye on at a fancy price is the Jim Dreaper trained Goonyella. The seven year-old son of Presenting narrowly missed the cut for the 2014 race, but will surely be aimed again in 2015. Some reasonable performances in last years’ Welsh National and the 2014 Irish National without causing too much noise could well be a benefit this time around especially if the ground turns out softer than good.

Summary

It is obviously a very difficult task to pick the winner of the 2015 Grand National with over seven months to the race, but hopefully some of these horses could well be picking up a piece of the prize money come April. There is value to be had at this time of the year in placing a small stakes wager on the event, good luck in finding it!

Long-term leading fancies for the 2015 Grand National

When Dr Richard Newland’s Pineau De Re stormed home five lengths clear of the admirable Balthazar King in April’s first Crabbies-sponsored Grand National at Aintree it catapulted the trainer very much into the headlines, shining the spotlight on a man who has for some time been noted as very much on the up-and-up by aficionados of the winter game.

Newland ended last campaign with a tremendous 23% winning strike rate and so far this season has sent out 11 winners from 39 runners at an even better winning ratio of 28%. These figures would be the envy of virtually every other National Hunt trainer and there is no doubt that the Worcestershire-based handler is a very talented horseman. It therefore is far from beyond the bounds of possibility that Newland might be able to bring this year’s winner of “the world’s greatest steeplechase” back to Aintree where he has showed such a liking for the track and its still unique fences.

Looking at the current Grand National odds, Pineau De Re [pictured] is currently a 25/1 ante-post joint-favourite alongside the 2014 Irish Grand National winner Shutthefrontdoor, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, and the Martin Brassil-trained Double Seven, third behind Pineau De Re at Aintree and like Shutthefrontdoor owned by leading National Hunt jumps owner and gambler, JP McManus.

McManus has never hidden his fondness for the Grand National and celebrated in style when his Don’t Push Me landed a massive gamble under Tony McCoy on the big day back in 2010. Shutthefrontdoor will be an eight-year-old for next year’s big race, the perfect age for a horse with a tremendously progressive profile as a staying chaser.

Double Seven, sent off the 10/1 joint-favourite for the 2014 Grand National under Tony McCoy, has now shown that he can handle the hurly-burly of the great race and as a nine-year-old will also fall into the ideal age category for a race that could very well be within his capabilities.