14.00hrs Tuesday 10th March- (Old) Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 2m Steel Ally (Sam Thomas) ... Read more
Three days of top quality racing; 500 million viewers over 140 countries; 30 unique fences; One Grand National Champion. The 2021 Randox Grand National meeting is a racing event for seasoned fans and first time punters alike, bringing everyone together over this amazing sport. With nearly 200 years of history and featuring the famous fences, such as Becher’s Brook, The Chair, Foinavon, The Canal Turn and Valentine’s Brook, The Grand National races are some of the most challenging tests for runners and riders.
Get Grand National ready with the Wed 7th April Preview Night.
Don’t forget to check out The Wine Tipster’s Unibet Racing Blog for each day of the meeting and all his top tips. You won’t want to miss his naps this week!
All 21 races will be covered on RacingTV and ITV Racing so you won’t miss a thing.
Randox Liverpool’s NHS Day Thurs 8th April
Celebrating the heroes of the NHS, the first day of the Randox Grand National Meeting is bound to get off to a flying start with four Grade 1 races in running order: Manifesto Novices’ Chase, Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, Bowl Chase and Aintree Hurdle . The Wine Tipster can’t wait for the Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase held over the iconic fences for amateur riders. What a thrill!
The Fan National Sweepstake declarations will be made on the 8th too.
Randox Ladies Day Fri 9th April
Ladies Day is not only an impressive day for fashion, but also for the four Grade 1 races to get your racing gears going with the Top Novices’ Hurdle, Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Marsh Melling Chase and Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. A firm favourite among Liverpudlians, this year you can bring the catwalk to your own home! Share your best raceday outfits with The Wine Tipster on Twitter and Instagram.
Randox Grand National Day Sat 10th April
And finally, the day everyone has been waiting for. One of the world’s most famous sporting occasions shown live on ITV. The 17:15 Randox Grand National Steeplechase features forty runners competing over more than four miles and over 30 unique fences, with winners automatically becoming sporting legends. Saturday isn’t just about The Grand National, The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, The Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Steeplechase and the Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle are the Grade 1 races of the day, and the 7 racecard is packed with top racing action.
Satisfy your Grand National obsession with these Facts and Figures from its 182 year history.
Celebrating The Grand National
Go all out for this momentous occasion with a bottle of show-stopping Coates & Seely Brut Britagne Reserve NV, Hampshire (£31.95 Coates & Seely, Magnum £64.95 Lea & Sandeman). Or their Rosé Brut Britagne NV, Hampshire (£32.96 Coates & Seely, £31.75 Lea & Sandeman) always hits the spot.
Looking for an easy drinker that matches the quality of the racing? Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand (£11.59 Waitrose) is a truly class act.
An unbeatable great value Red for the top racing is the Ramos Reserva Vinho Regional Alentejano 2018 from Portugal and available in Majestic £8.99.
Something stronger for the edge-of-the-seat viewing? A glass of top quality Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Malt is a smooth taste experience (£32.90 Master of Malt, £34.95 The Whiskey Exchange).
The Wine Tipster wishes you a winning Grand National! Cheers!
Grand National/Aintree preview with our guest columnist Jamie Beighton
The 3 day Aintree festival kicks off today with the highlight The Betway Bowl Grade 1. With Kemboy, Bristol De Mai, and Clans des Obeaux currently sharing a 3 way tie for favouritism. Kemboy is on a recovery mission from Cheltenham following a first fence blip, and he may just find that being spared a hard race in the Gold Cup giving him the edge over the other two.
Elsewhere on the first days card Diego Du Charmil 4.40, looks an intriguing runner for Paul Nicholls, swimming in far calmer waters today than recent runs, and at odds of 9/1 looks a sound each way bet.
Friday sees the Melling Chase take centre stage, with the appropriately named Waiting Patiently heading the market with Politolgue. Then the appetite for the national fences is well and truly satisfied with The Topham ran over 2M 5F over the national fences. Janika 10/1 sure to be popular following his Cheltenham run, along with Ballyhill also catching the eye for the Twiston Davies stable at 16/1.
The Grand National
The National ran over 4M 2F celebrates its 180th running this year. The first horse to win the race named Lottery in 1839, there has been many a result since to suggest this can certainly be the case!
At the head of the market this year is Tiger Roll, bidding to go off the shortest price runner in national history at around the 7/2 mark. With his recent Cheltenham Festival success and victory in the National last year, his chance is clear in an attempt to become the first horse since the legendary Red Rum to retain the National. However at very prohibitive odds, up in the weights, and the memory of just how close last years race was, he is passed over from a value perspective.
A horse that really interests me from the Phillip Hobbs stable is Rock The Kasbah. A horse Hobbs has stated as being very much aimed at the race. Best kept fresh, he hasn’t raced since December when probably finding the race coming too soon on the back of a very impressive handicap win at Cheltenham. With drying spring ground sure to suit as well this weekend. Champion jockey Richard Johnson takes the ride and will be looking for his first national winner. At odds around 20/1 he makes for a good each way selection.
Recent form figures of F/6/PU might not jump off the page as a live National contender, however a deeper look into the classy Ballyoptic’s form and one could argue there is an angle at the current odds of 50/1. Last seasons defeat of Vintage Clouds by 2 and three quarter lengths reads well considering that horse is 12/1 at the time of writing. Ballyoptic is clearly suited by a stamina test, a nose second in the Scottish National last year, and won’t mind the ground whatever the weather does.
The assured jumping Jury Duty looked as good as ever last time out and gets in here off a nice racing weight, a bold bid can be accepted from the all firing Gordon Elliott stable. He’s currently priced at 25/1.
So come 5.15pm on Saturday, sit back and enjoy one of Britain’s finest sporting spectacles. With the forecast spring weather I’ll be sitting down with a glass of Coates & Seely Sparkling Rose, a crisp, fresh, sporting English pink that will accompany the thrills and spills of the National so well…….good luck everyone and enjoy.
The Wine Tipster Blog
13.20hrs Tuesday 10th March – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m ½ f Old Park Star (Nicky Henderson) It’s worth say... Read more
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