Rathvinden Becomes New Grand National Favourite

Rathvinden is the new favourite with some bookmakers to win the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National after he was successful in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse last weekend.

Willie Mullins’ horse scored by just over three lengths in what was a Grade Three contest, where he stayed on strongly inside the closing stages to suggest the 4m2f trip at Aintree in April will be perfect for him.

Last season Rathvinden won the National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival therefore he is no stranger to success at big meetings. He has an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup this year and then he will appear on Merseyside just a month later.

Rathviden was 33/1 in the betting for the marathon contest at Aintree at the end of the season before his latest win but now has Grand National winner odds of 12/1. A victory in the Gold Cup would see his odds slashed even further as his handicap mark cannot change as he has already been assigned 10 stones and 10 pounds by the handicapper.

Mullins won the Grand National back in 2005 with Hedgehunter who was well backed in the betting to land a big gamble that year. The former Irish Champion Trainer has come close to having his second victory in the people’s race since then, most notably last year as Pleasant Company finished second. The eight-year-old was coming strongly in the final furlong but was just unable to reel in Tiger Roll who finished half-a-length ahead of him when crossing the finish line.

Tiger Roll Bidding For Back-To-Back Wins

Defending champion Tiger Roll is set to return to the race which made him famous all over the world in April where he is 14/1 in the betting to repeat his feat.

The stats are against the Irish runner as no horse has won back-to-back runnings of the Grand National since Red Rum did it in 1974. Just like the horse ahead of him in the ante-post market this year, Tiger Roll will feature at the Cheltenham Festival where he is the favourite to win the Cross Country Chase once Again.

The season started in November for Gordon Elliott’s runner when he was disappointing at Cheltenham in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase which was won by Josies Orders. On that occasion, the Grand National winner looked far from 100% fit as he struggled in the final few furlongs of the race.

Tiger Roll reappeared earlier this month at Navan to pull off a surprise victory in the Boyne Hurdle. The chaser was 25/1 in the betting on his return to hurdles in a race which was used to sharpen the horse up ahead of two important races.

Elliott is looking for his third Grand National win in 2019 as he also trained the winner in 2007 when Silver Birch came out on top. It has been a big season for the Irishman who is expected to be one of the leading trainers at the Cheltenham Festival in a few weeks’ time.

The Grand National meeting begins on April 4 with the big race taking place two days later at 17:15 BST.