The weights for the 2022 Grand National were released yesterday and have caused plenty of chatter amongst the racing public. Our racing expert has delved into the entrants identifying two horses currently trading at huge prices that look well worth considering. Check out their thoughts, alongside an exclusive bet365 offer where you can get £50 in Free Bets when you bet £10.
RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE (5:15pm Aintree, April 9th)
Irish Raiders Dominate the Betting
Irish horses filled an unprecedented ten of the first eleven places in last year’s Grand National, and it is therefore no surprise that the top of the market for the 2022 renewal is flooded with runners trained across the Irish sea.
Escaria Ten appears to have been the shrewdies fancy for the National in recent weeks, and he has been backed into a best-priced 16/1 for glory after the weights release.
Although undoubtedly a potentially well handicapped horse, however, he looks a little inexperienced for a task such as this.
Longhouse Poet is another talented second season chaser and he has also proven popular in recent days, yet whether good ground would be exactly what he wants is up for debate and therefore he looks risky for ante-post purposes at least until there’s clearer evidence on the expected ground.
Noble Yeats has recently been picked up by the Waley-Cohen’s and represents a shrewd stable in that of Emmet Mullins.
He could sneak into the race here off a low weight and it would be no shock to see him run well, yet this could come a year too soon for him.
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Henderson Hopeful Handicapped to Strike
Whilst the Irish clearly play a strong hand, there are reasons, be it inexperience or from handicapping standpoints, to oppose some of their better fancied runners.
There appear several runners towards the top of the market for the National who won’t take part, and this makes some of those at bigger prices who look likely to run very appealing.
One horse who fits that bill is CARIBEAN BOY, who aims to break the Nicky Henderson Grand National hoodoo.
The Simon Munir & Isaac Souede owned gelding had some excellent form to his name for connections last season which includes a 4l victory over Fiddlerontheroof (met on level weights). That fellow National entrant is half the price of Caribean Boy yet must give him 6lb and therefore seemingly has plenty of work to do to reverse the form.
Caribean Boy failed to complete when sent off the favourite for the Topham over these famous fences last season, yet he took a wide trip throughout, and it could be argued that the run came at the end of a demanding first season in Britain.
Caribean Boy has been far more conservatively campaigned this term, recording RPR’s in the 150s either side of a first-fence Ascot fall.
A recent Kempton victory proved Caribean Boy to be in good form at present, and a mark of 149 guarantees him a run in this year’s Grand National. Connections view him as a staying type, and that Newbury form from last year shows him to also be a potentially well handicapped horse, so representing an age group that has taken four of the last six runnings of the National, he looks worth backing at current odds of 50/1 – particularly as a big run in next month’s Coral Chase should see those odds plummet.
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Maid Overpriced for Mullins
Instead of going in single handed for the National, another dart can be fired at COURT MAID, who at an even bigger 66/1 also makes plenty of appeal.
Thomas Mullins’ mare has proven a real star for her stable down the years, gaining victories in bumpers, over hurdles, and in chase contests.
She looked a potential National type when demolishing a classy field in a competitive renewal of the Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse last season, and whilst she has failed to replicate that form since she ran better than the bare result when ninth in last season’s Irish National, which came on the back of a 115-day break.
Connections have campaigned Court Maid very interestingly this season, entering her in Graded/Listed chases against her own sex either side of a hurdles run in the competitive Galmoy Hurdle.
Those chase starts in particular came over distances well short of Court Maid’s optimum, most recently over 2m at Naas when chasing home the classy Elimay.
Returning to handicaps over a stamina sapping trip will prove far more suitable for Court Maid, and it is worth noting that in 23 starts over hurdles and fences she has never fallen, so there’s plenty of optimism that the demands put on her jumping at Aintree will stand the test of time.
The handicapper has put Court Maid in this year’s National on a mark of 149, which is just 1lb above her Irish rating and only 9lb above that Porterstown winning mark.
A mare hasn’t won the Grand National since 1951, yet Magic Of Light came close to breaking that duck in 2019 when chasing home Tiger Roll and the recent upgrade to the mares chase scene should see that record broken sooner rather than later.
In a race that often produces a fairy tale headline, this €1,800 purchase could prove just the horse to provide it.
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2022 RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE – Ante-Post Selections
CARIBEAN BOY Nicky Henderson 50/1
COURT MAID Thomas Mullins 66/1
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