The Grand National is the ultimate test of horses in the National Hunt season. Trainers and jockeys descend on Aintree in the hope of etching their place in history, putting their charge into the brightest of lights on the jumps racing circuit.

One For Arthur rose to prominence last year to win the event with a fine performance. However, he will miss the race this term due to injury, opening up the opportunity for a new competitor to rise to the challenge. There are a number of excellent horses that will be vying for the crown, who will be aiming to join an elite group by triumphing on 14th April.

 

Blaklion

Blaklion – class act! pic.twitter.com/z6BJJ2Q5JR

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 9, 2017

The bay gelding was one of the competitors defeated by One For Arthur in the Randox Health Grand National last season. Nigel Twiston-Davies’ charge was considered the favourite for the meet but could not rise to the occasion and placed fourth, finishing well off the pace of the triumphant horse. He returned to action for the 2017/18 campaign in the Charlie Hall Chase, only to be narrowly beaten out by his stable-mate Bristol De Mai at Wetherby Racecourse.

However, Blaklion made a statement at Aintree before Christmas to win the Becher Handicap Chase, finishing nine lengths ahead of his nearest rival. In the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock Park, the nine-year was expected to secure another victory, only to suffer a massive defeat at the hands of Yala Enki, although he was only one of three horses to finish the meet in tough conditions. As of March 7, Blaklion is still considered one of the leading contenders for the National with horse racing betting sites like Bet way due to his performance at Aintree in the Becher but he will need to produce his best form with Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle.

 

Definitly Red

 

The Irish horse also competed at the National last term but failed to finish the event. Brian Ellison’s charge was one of the leading contenders for the crown, only to succumb at the ninth fence after initially struggling at Becher’s fence. He competed against Blaklion at the Charlie Hall Chase and, although he put forward a solid outing in third place, the pace of Bristol De Mai was his undoing.

Ellison decided against sending the horse into the Becher Handicap Chase, opting instead for the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree Racecourse. The decision paid dividends as Danny Cook rode a fine race to guide the bay gelding to a comfortable victory over the rest of the field, finishing seven lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

Definitly Red faced off against Bristol De Mai once again at the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse at the end of January. Due to his triumph at Wetherby, the French horse was considered the favourite for the meet. However, with Cook at the reins, Ellison’s charge delivered another fine performance, pulling away down the stretch to secure an eight-length victory ahead of American. The Irish horse has the potential to deliver at the National but will need a flawless outing.

 

Cause Of Causes

 

The bay gelding was one of the few horses to compete at the Cheltenham Festival and the National last season. His appearance at Cheltenham ended in triumph at the Cross Country Chase as Gordon Elliott’s charge was able to secure the victory by nine lengths ahead of his stable-mate Bless The Wings. Elliott put his horse forward for the National on the back of that success and was an outside challenge for the event. He pushed One For Arthur the closest down the stretch run, putting pressure on at the last fence, although Lucinda Russell’s charge had enough to beat him down the straight.

Cause of Causes still had a solid outing to place in second but Elliott will be eyeing a victory in 2018. The 10-year-old has raced only once since the National but it was a poor outing at the Chanelle Pharma Handicap Chase, finishing all the way down in 15th. Elliott will not be overly concerned but he may be tempted to put the American horse in action before the meet at Aintree in order to sharpen up his form. He has the experience and the endurance but whether it’s enough to secure the victory is another matter.

 

 

With Cheltenham just around the corner we were met with the news recently that the winner of 2017’s Gold Cup, Sizing John, has had to pull out with a fracture injury to its pelvis. Whilst this is sad and many backers would have put their houses on Sizing John to come home with the Gold Cup again fear not as there are 28 races that are run over the course of The Festival and you would be surprised to know that, usually, the Gold Cup doesn’t always go to the form book.

 

We looked at some of the best horses running at the festival and with many of the biggest names in the racing world fancies these you’ll be in good company backing them in the Cheltenham betting. With Apples Jade looking to repeat her successes from earlier in the season she’s surely one to watch at 4/7 in the Mares Hurdle on Day 1. Of course there are no guarantees in gambling there are many other horses over the course of the festival that deserve your backing listed below.

 

Cause of Causes is one of the most popular horses in National Hunt racing. Gordon Elliott’s versatile 10-year-old has been there and won on the biggest stage of all, and he looks well placed for more success in the coming months. With entries in the Cross Country Chase at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival AND in Aintree’s Grand National, he could be set for a huge spring.

 

First things first, defending his Festival crown is the main port of call. In 2017, he romped home to claim the Cross Country Chase title by nine lengths; and plenty of punters will be backing the JP McManus-owned star to retain the title. At 3.95 on the latest Cheltenham betting exchanges, he is well worth considering – punters who recall last year’s success will get involved on race day.

 

Barring any setback at Cheltenham, he will then head to Aintree for the Grand National. This will be his final chance at the Merseyside showpiece and he will be looking to go one better after finishing a close second to One For Arthur in 2017. Cause of Causes, adored by the wider racing community, can do the double this year and that will cement his status as one of the best thoroughbreds in modern times.

 

2017: Cause of Causes beat Blaklion by 4 lengths carrying the same weight.

2018: Blaklion carries 8lbs more than Cause of Causes.

Blaklion 10/1 and Cause of Causes 28/1.#GrandNational pic.twitter.com/lcWQlVLHgn

— George Smyly (@gsmyly) February 14, 2018

 

Punters took advantage of favourable ante post markets after the National weights were announced – Cause of Causes is now a 16/1 shot for Aintree glory. McManus and Elliott will be hoping that most of the top weights head to the National; moving higher up the list could prove detrimental to his hopes of victory. First and foremost though, it is time to focus purely on Cheltenham.

 

Regarded as one of the most versatile horses in the industry. Cause of Causes has the talent and resilience to win once again and he will feature prominently in Cheltenham 2018 tips across the country as the Festival draws closer. Looking at the race, it is a fairly competitive renewal, but he is the standout contender.

 

He has the beating of fellow contender Cantlow and Bless The Wings on last year’s effort – it will take a huge effort on their part to reverse the form. However, stablemate Tiger Roll, a Cheltenham Festival winner in 2017, could be one to watch. Elliott could have a 1-2-3 in this race if everything goes to plan; Cause of Causes should certainly feature at the business end of the race.

 

 

Winning at Cheltenham is top on the priority list and a National success could follow if Cause of Causes walks away from Prestbury Park with a win. His price will certainly shorten it he claims a fourth successive Festival victory – bettors considering a National wager should get on now. Gordon Elliott knows that this horse is capable of brilliant things and a double at two of racing’s biggest meetings wouldn’t be a huge surprise.

 

 

On April 14^th 2018 we once again get to watch what is surely for many, the most highlightly anticipated National Hunt event of the year. Held over 4 miles 514 yards of the Aintree, Liverpool racecourse, the Grand National offers a huge prize fund of more than £1,000,000 (£560,000+ for the winner) and draws millions of eyeballs to screen across the nation, both in homes and in bustling and busy pubs across the nation. Tens of thousands will be on course to watch the action unfold too. Such is the awareness of the event then many will even know the names of fences that form part of the 30 jumps (over two laps), such as Becher’s Brook and The Chair. This year the 2018 race, sponsored by Randox Health will take place on ITV at 5:15pm on the aforementioned date, so there’s no excuse for missing it now!

 

Let’s take a  look at the Grand National 2018 Runners after a brief analysis of years gone by. Last year’s winner was One for Arthur ridden by Derek Fox and trained by Lucinda Russell at odds of 14-1. The previous year saw Rule The World grab the first place spot at a generous 33-1. In fact, you have to go back a good few years, 2010 in fact, to find even a joint favourite winner: Don’t Push It at 10-1 JF with Tony McCoy onboard. Some might not be put off by that fact though, and feel that a favourite is now due to win (Blaklion and Total Recall are current joint favourites at 10-1). Others will take the view that if Grand National favourites are so unpredictable then why not opt for a big odds outsider come what may. After all, a few 100-1 shots have won over the years and that’s just with bookmakers, you can likely multiply those odds by a time or two on the betting exchanges.

 

So with both Blaklion and Total Recall having decent claims in the National, how about looking for bigger odds selections? Minella Rocco at 25-1 is surely worth a look. If the ground is good to soft that’s where he excels and surely second in the Gold Cup is no walk in the park either. Trainer Jonjo O’Neill appears to like his chances. Not big enough odds? How about 33-1 Scottish National winner Vincente? Unseated in the Welsh National but the Paul Nicholls trained horse is certainly no no-hoper. Still not good enough? Well I can’t say that any of the 100-1 offerings this time around fill me with confidence, so I’ll leave it to you to find the hidden gem(s) and to have a story to tell the grandkids for decades to come! Make sure you have at least a tenner on!