Red Grand National Horses

Tiger Roll was very unfortunate not to get the opportunity to try and win the Grand National in three consecutive years, but he will surely get a chance to complete his hat-trick in the 2021 Grand National. Comparisons are inevitably going to be made with Grand National legend Red Rum who won three Grand Nationals but he achieved those three wins over a period of five years. Can Tiger Roll achieve what even Red Rum could not? Tiger Roll has confounded the critics who first said he was too small to jump Aintree fences and then said that the additional weight he had to carry last year would be his undoing. The Gordon Elliott trained gelding is an enigma in that he had the speed to win four races at around two miles (including the Triumph Hurdle) but also the required stamina to win events such as the National Hunt Chase and the Grand National. Undoubtedly, the little horse is one of the iconic stars of National Hunt racing with four wins at the Cheltenham Festival in three different races, as well as being the first horse to retain the Grand National in forty-five years. Tiger Roll disappointed in his comeback for the 20/21 season when pulling up in a cross-country race at the Cheltenham November meeting. Connections remain adamant that Tiger Roll will not be retired and as long as he runs well at Cheltenham in March then he will probably also line up at Aintree.

Native River is part of the all conquering Colin Tizzard team with this horse recently winning the £113k Hennessy Gold Cup and earning himself quotes for the Gold Cup and the Grand National. Native River won the Hennessy after an exciting first year over fences where he won a Grade Two novice event at Newbury before finishing a staying on second to Minella Rocco in the four mile National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. That year was crowned with a clear cut win in the Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree. That excellent first year over fences meant he went into the ultra competitive Hennessy Gold Cup with a stiff looking mark of 155 but Tizzard worked the training oracle again and the six-year-old ran out a well backed half-length winner of one of the most fiercely contested handicaps of the year. Another bump up the ratings looks inevitable for that big win at Newbury and if Native River does run in the Grand National he is likely to find himself close to the top of the handicap which would be a big ask for such a young horse. Native River would be seven years old come the next Grand National and it is well documented what a poor record horses of that age group have at Aintree so it may be that his connections will decide to give him another year before aiming at the National. Stamina would not appear to be an issue for the son of Indian River given his performance in the National Hunt Chase but his jumping can leave a bit to be desired at times and another year of experience could be the best approach.

Acapella Bourgeois is a classy performer having won Graded events over hurdles and fences including when taking the Grade 3 BobbyJo Chase for the last two years. The BobbyJo Chase has been a useful stepping-stone to the Grand National with six winners going on to finish in the first three at Aintree over the past twenty years.  This season he has also confirmed he is in decent form when finishing runner up for the second time to the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo in the New Year's Day Chase at Tramore in January. Acapella Bourgeois has already proven his liking for a marathon test when finishing a fine seven length third in the Irish Grand National two seasons ago.  Willie Mullins’ eleven-year-old gelding is very versatile as regards ground conditions having won on good, soft, and heavy and he also does not have too many miles on the clock for a horse of his age having had just nineteen chase starts. Willie Mullins won the Grand National back in 2005 with Hedgehunter and has had another four horses finish in the first four places from forty runners over the last twenty years.