Tiger Roll, the winner of the Grand
National in 2018, was imperious when winning the Glenfarclas Cross
Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year running.
Few would deny that, despite his diminutive stature, the
nine-year-old is a worthy favourite to become the first horse since
Red Rum, in the Seventies, to win back-to-back Nationals. However, it
is worth remembering that, after taking a 6-length lead at the Elbow
last year, he was ultimately all out to hold Pleasant Company by a
head. Tiger Roll is 9lb higher in the weights this time around and,
admirable though he is, odds of 6/1 look short enough.
By contrast, Pleasant Company, who
finished ninth behind One For Arthur in 2017 before just being
touched off last year, is available as a 33/1 outsider. He, too, is 6lb higher
in the weights this time around and is following a similar pattern to
last year insofar as he has shown very little in two starts so far
this season. Of course, he is trained by Willie Mullins, so he could
bounce back, especially if the going at Aintree comes up soft or
heavy but, as an 11-year-old, he hardly has time of his side.
One For Arthur was sidelined with
injury for most of the season 2017/2018, but returned to action in
December and is by no means impossibly treated off 6lb higher mark.
That said, he unseated rider on his seasonal debut on the Mildmay
Course at Aintree and did so again at Haydock in January, so has some
questions to answer in the jumping department. He also reportedly
heads to Aintree without another preparatory run, so his fitness
needs to be taken on trust, but the 33/1 outsider odds available looks fair enough.
There are other outsiders in the running too. Owner Trevor Hemmings, who’s already
won the Grand National three times, with Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many
Clouds, holds a strong hand with Vintage Clouds – who looks a solid
16/1 chance – and, at longer odds, his more recent acquisition,
Lake View Lad, whom he bought from previous connections last October.
Both horses ran an excellent trial for the Grand National when second
and third, respectively, in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the
Cheltenham Festival and, at 25/1, Lake View Lad arguably looks the
pick of this pair of outsiders at Aintree.
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