Grand National Lucky Dip

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.