Five talking points surrounding Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree racecourse:
The McCoy factor
Jonjo O’Neill’s runner Shutthefrontdoor’s position at the head of the ante-post betting is down not to his form, which is decent enough but not outstanding, but to the identity of the man in the saddle. This is Tony McCoy’s 20th and last National, and bookmakers predict his mount could start the shortest priced favourite since Red Rum, sent off at 7-2 when beaten by L’Escargot in 1975. McCoy is seeking his second National winner after Don’t Push It, trained and owned like Shutthefrontdoor’s connections, O’Neill and JP McManus.
Nina Carberry
Katie Walsh won Monday’s Irish National at Fairyhouse, now her sister-in-law Nina Carberry aims to follow suit in the big one at Aintree. Success on First Lieutenant would make 30-year-old Carberry, whose brother Paul won on Bobbyjo in 1999, the first ever woman rider to claim the world famous steeplechase first run in 1839. The closest a female rider has come to correcting that anomaly was the third place achieved by Walsh on Seabass in 2012. Jenny Pitman became the first woman to train a National winner – Corbiere in 1983.
Can Pineau De Re emulate Red Rum?
Trained by a former doctor, last year’s surprise winner Pineau De Re returns to defend his crown. If he succeeds he will become the first since Red Rum in 1974 to land back-to-back Nationals. All the signs are he’s up against it, with a low key prep at Cheltenham last month hardly boosting his prospects. He’s also risen in the weights, but his trainer Richard Newlands warns against discounting “the forgotten” horse in the field.
Sean Bowen – youth over experience?
As a child, Sean Bowen suffered an allergy to horses. As a teenager, on Saturday, he is surrounded by them as he seeks to become at 17 the youngest jockey to win the Grand National. Bowen teams up with Mon Parrain, one of four Paul Nicholls’ contenders. It was a close run thing whether Bowen would make the field at all, as the rules stipulate National jockeys must have ridden 10 winners – he took his tally to double figures last weekend. “I’ve been to Aintree plenty of times with my parents and I’m not nervous about the fences,” he told the Daily Mail.
Unusual backseat role for Mullins
Willie Mullins enjoyed an exceptional Cheltenham Festival, training a record eight winners, including the first three home in the Champion Hurdle. But he is single handed in the National, which he’s won once, with Hedgehunter in 2005, his hopes carried on Saturday by Ballycasey. The 33-1 shot pulled up on his last run at Cheltenham, and was a distant third on his previous outing at Ascot. If he can recapture his strong novice chase form though he has each-way potential.