Backstage Odds Grand National 2011 has seen the Gordon Elliott trained charge draw in more and more attention. His build up for the big race at Aintree at 4.15 pm on Saturday, April 9th, has been a little unorthodox, as he has been running Point to Point races (both of which he won). But the key element here will be the influence which Elliott will exert on the horse. Backstage was once under the charge of Paul Nicholls, who just could not get the desired results from him, so Elliott has now picked him up and Backstage has taken on a new lease of life. It was a similar story with Silver Birch, who Elliott picked up and trained to victory in the 2007 renewal of the Grand National, and now the young Irish trainer goes in search of his second big victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase. There has been growing interest in this unorthodox runner, whose style is a little unconventional but it could be very effective on the day. This is not his first time around Aintree either, as he was a very noticeable participant in last year’s running, where he was tracking eventual winner Don’t Push It very, very well. Things just went wrong at the 20th obstacle, when Backstage unseated his rider.
There should not be any questions over Backstage’s ability to stay in the race, as he has proven that he will have the stamina and the legs. He could be a bit particular over the ground though, because if the going is a little too soft, it may hamper him a bit. Still, one thing you can be assured of, and something which should influence your Backstage Odds Grand National 2011 is that Elliott has meticulously gotten him ready. Backstage will be primed for this race, and primed for running a great race at that, you can be pretty much assured of that. He is the favourite for punters who like to look at something a little bit difference, and was trading on equal standing along with outright favourite The Midnight Club until Ruby Walsh announced that he was going to take the latter’s ride. Interestingly Backstage will go off on the same mark (148) as he did in last year’s race and that is something which could well work in his favour this time around, because he has that all important factor of having good experience in the race. Don’t worry about his failure last year, because there have been good winners before who have failed to complete the race prior to winning.
Backstage certainly does make for one of the top horse racing betting tips for the 2011 Grand National, and it could be a winning combination again. This feels a bit like betting on Stoke City in the FA Cup this year, they pose a big threat because they can bring something just a little bit different from the norm. Gordon Elliott is one of the most promising young trainers around, and while wins in his career have been few and far between he has never been in better condition or form in his life. His is the perfect age and the ideal weight to make a serious challenge here, and going for around 12/1 with Bet365, there are no issues over his value in Backstage Odds for the Grand National 2011. He will be worth taking right now in ante post betting for the 2011 Grand National though, because as more and more money goes down on him, especially on Saturday itself, his price could very well shorten a bit more. This is one of the strong bets for one of the front runners in the Aintree marathon this week, and is well worth taking. His price is decent enough for an each way bet if you are unsure, and check out Paddy Power who are paying out to five places in this year’s renewal. Bottom line is that Backstage really can win this race, as the pointers are looking very, very good for him.
