Ballabriggs aims for the Grand National double
John Smith’s Grand National Chase has attracted and finalised 82 runners at Aintree on Saturday, April 14, 2102. Last year’s winner, Ballabriggs, was also amongst the entries and will be aiming for a second consecutive triumph in the event.
Despite not being the favourite last year, Ballabriggs put up an impressive show and emerged victorious in the end. He ran pretty well, and finished two and a quarter lengths ahead of the runner up horse, Oscar Time.
Willie Mullins’ trained horse, The Midnight Club, was the favourite with a starting price of 15 to 2, but failed to win the event. He completed the race in sixth place, but will have another go at the title this year.
However, Ballabriggs, who has a general starting price of 14 to 1 for the Aintree event, seems to be in good form and has the potential to become only the second horse in history to win back to back Grand Nationals.
Although it is quite possible, things will not be easy for the 11-year-old horse, as he will face fierce competition from Junior and Synchronised, who are tipped to win by the bookmakers. They have a general starting price of 14 to 1 for the event.
Junior has got a very good record in chase races, as he has won three of them out of the seven he took part in. Other than that, he also has finished third in as many starts.
On the other hand, Synchronised has also taken part in eight chase events. He has won five of them and finished third on two occasions.
The Grand National promises to be an exciting event, but there are some concerns over the number of participants, which has decreased compared to the last two years.
Despite that, Aintree’s managing director, Julian Thick is pleased with the preparations and said, “The number of entries is down on last year but we believe that this is a testament to the status of the race these days.”
He went onto say, “Owners and trainers are now taking a more selective approach to the horses they enter, as the increasing quality of the runners we attract to the John Smith's Grand National means that lower rated horses no longer have any prospect
of a run.”
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