Midlands Grand National Trends
There is barely a race on the racing calendar that asks more in terms of stamina and toughness than the Betfred Midlands Grand National.
The West Midlands has seen as much race as anywhere in recent days so the forecast going is heavy, not that conditions are unusual for this traditional post-Cheltenham betting heat.
Uttoxeter’s fences are not the easiest and the course is undulating. The Midlands Grand National is a real test of staying power, therefore, and it’s common for most of the field not to complete the 4m2f.
Generally, this has not been a race for older chasers. No horse aged older than nine has won in the last 20 years and, if you rely on that fact, you’ve already narrowed this year’s field of 18 by half.
Only two of the last 15 winners have carried more than 10st 12lb and it will not be an advantage carrying a welter burden in the ground this year either.
Midlands Grand National Current Best Odds
Get On The Yager 7/1, West Of The Edge and Back To The Thatch 8/1, The Artful Cobbler 10/1, Silsol, Milansbar and Hainan 16/1, Alfie Spinner and Bob Ford 20/1, Ballymalin, Benbens and Western Climate 25/1, Krackatoa King, Plus Jamais and Regal Flow 33/1, Billy Bronco and Themanfrom Minella 40/1, Russe Blanc 50/1
Several of this field have been knocking on the door and a number of trainers have two or more runners in a race worth more the £70,000.
Henry Daly holds a strong hand with The Artful Cobbler bidding for a four-timer from the bottom of the weights. He’s available at 10/1 with Sportingbet and his stable companion Back To The Thatch is vying for favouritism at 8/1 with Sportingbet. He was still going well when falling in the Eider at Newcastle in which a number of these competed.
West Of The Edge, another who is among the current market leaders, was second in the Eider and Hainan and Milansbar fourth and fifth respectively – Themanfrom Minella was pulled up. Alfie Spinner was a gallant second in the Welsh Grand National in December and has been giving plenty of time to recover. He may be the pick of Kerry Lee’s trio but is a teenager now.
Get On The Yager won the prestigious Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby in December and was then trying to give lumps of weight to the winner when beaten over a trip too short at Southwell but whether he’ll have the stamina for this is anybody’s guess and he’s only a best 7/1 with Sportingbet.
WESTERN CLIMATE just kept galloping when taking a handicap on bottomless ground at Exeter two runs ago under Sean Bowen. Younger brother James, who claims a valuable 3lb, takes the reins today and Sportingbet are out of sync with every other bookmaker in putting up odds of 25/1 against Tom Weston’s unexposed novice, who should relish this test. Plus Jamais and Regal Flow have been in good form but it would be a surprise if they were good enough to win a race of this stature.
