There were 105 entries for the Grand National on 4 April when the race closed last month but, for the moment at least, everything revolves around one horse: Tiger Roll. The racing world will converge on central Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon to find out how much of an incentive – if any – has been handed to the winner in 2018 and 2019 in an attempt to persuade his connections to let him try for a record-equalling third success.
There is not much doubt Tiger Roll will carry top weight this year, just as Red Rum did in 1975 when he tried – and failed – to win a third consecutive National. It will be 11st 10lb rather than the 12st Red Rum lugged into a 15-length second place behind L’Escargot, a dual Gold Cup winner, who was getting 11lb. Red Rum did not manage to notch his third win until 1977, when he had top weight for the fourth year in a row but the maximum burden had dropped to 11st 8lb.
The significant number, though, will be the gap between Tiger Roll and the next few horses on the list, which will show how much leeway he has been given against his official rating of 171 (the same mark as his stable companion and Gold Cup candidate, Delta Work). To build the suspense, the allotted burdens will be published a few at a time from 14.50, so they should get to Tiger Roll by 15.30.
All the news and reaction will be here as soon as it is available, along with the latest odds for Gordon Elliott’s chaser to complete a unique treble in consecutive runnings of the National. In the meantime, though, there are a couple of all-weather Flat meetings to ponder this afternoon.
Chelmsford
1.35 Krazy Paving 2.05 Night Voyager 2.40 Elusif 3.15 Prince Of Eagles 3.45 Tone The Barone (nb) 4.15 Social City
Newcastle
4.20 Nataleena 4.50 Bill Cody 5.20 Bawaader (nap) 5.50 Jungle Speed 6.20 Coast Ofalfujairah 6.50 Kayat 7.20 Discovery Island 7.50 Merweb
Meetings at Lingfield and Ayr abandoned because of waterlogging
Bawaader (5.20), who cost £270,000 as a juvenile in 2017, did not race until last year and has since moved from Ed Dunlop to David Thompson. He ran a race full of promise on debut for his new stable last time and makes plenty of appeal at around 11-2 on the Newcastle card given Elusive Heights, the morning favourite, has much the same chance on paper.
Jungle Speed (5.50) is a 20-1 shot for the subsequent sprint handicap but has a similar profile to Tranchee, a winner for Ivan Furtado last month, in that he is a well-bred, lightly raced import bought to race for K Sohi.
Night Voyager (2.05) and the revitalised Tone The Barone (3.45) look best on the Chelmsford card.