Our man in Dublin Johnny Ward marks your card for a good card at Punchestown, featuring the Grade 2 Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle. Enjoy all the action liv
The 2021 Randox Grand National: What the beaten jockeys and trainers said
Sat 10 Apr 2021
From hard-luck stories to great spins that were cut short, read what the beaten riders had to say after the Aintree spectacular on Saturday.
Aidan Coleman, Balko Des Flos (2nd)
“I couldn’t be happier with him. He was super. He jumped brilliantly and travelled into it really well. He did everything right but just didn’t win. All credit to him.”
Mark Walsh, Any Second Now (3rd)
“He was very unlucky, he very nearly got brought down at the third last and he’s done great to finish third.”
Saint can land National for the Mullins family
Willie Mullins has had the Grand National in mind for Burrows Saint for a while.
PLENTY will be searching for the name of Tiger Roll when they look at the 40 runners for this year’s Randox Grand National (5.15pm), but sadly connections opted not to attempt a record-equalling third win with the 11-year-old who could be back in 12 months’ time.
The Irish, who notably dominated the Cheltenham Festival and have won three of the last four renewals, are still strongly represented with seven of the first 10 in the betting.
However, the big race favourite is trained on these shores (admittedly by an Irishman) and looks to hold leading claims.
Clondaw Castle looks the call in the Bowl
Clondaw Castle was an impressive winner of a Kempton handicap last time.
PLENTY expected Tiger Roll to return to Aintree this week, but not many predicted it would be in the Betway Bowl (2.50pm) rather than an attempt at a history-equalling third Randox Grand National victory.
The evergreen 11-year-old rolled back the years with an emphatic fifth success at the Cheltenham Festival last month when pulverising his opposition in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase and will take some beating here if in the same mood.
It could be that the return to orthodox park fences after nearly four years may rekindle the old magic, but its impossible to know which Tiger will turn up.