Racing
Rating the 2021 Gigginstown Grand National runners
There may be no Tiger Roll in this year’s Grand National but owners Gigginstown are five-handed as they look to land the big once more in his absence. We take a closer look at all five as Michael O’Leary tries to seal a hat-trick of National victories come Saturday afternoon, and potentially yet another Irish trained winner of the race.
The 5 Gigginstown Grand National runners
Farclas – 20/1
Farclas found just one too good in the Paddy Power Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, placing 2nd behind The Shunter. However, he’s 6lbs well in here and that Cheltenham run proved him to be a progressive young chaser, so he deserves his place in the National field.
He does have stamina to prove though, having been campaigned at 3 miles and less – in his only run over 3 miles he failed to settle, pulling hard throughout. One positive is that Jack Kennedy has picked him as his partner as they look to go one better than at Cheltenham.
Milan Native – 33/1
Another Gigginstown runner, Milan Native, attracted money in the betting market when the weights were released for the Grand National but that support has cooled in recent weeks.
He could only muster 9th in the Ultima at last month’s Cheltenham Festival but that was his first run back following wind surgery so improvement could still be to come.
Sent off at 9/2 at the Festival, he won last year’s Kim Muir highlighting his potential as a decent staying chaser but he’s still to race beyond 3 mile and 2-furlong and it’s possible he won’t appreciate the quicker ground at Aintree.
Shattered Love – 50/1
Shattered Love put in an excellent performance in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, placing 3rd behind Colreevy and Elimay.
That form has already been franked by Elimay who won at Fairyhouse on Saturday, indicating that Shattered Love is a mare at the top of her game.
She does have stamina to prove though, since all seven of her career wins so far have come at 3 miles or shorter and she was pulled up in the 2019 Irish Grand National over the 3 mile and 5-furlong trip.
Alpha Des Obeaux – 66/1
Alpha Des Obeaux has experience of the Grand National fences – falling at The Chair in 2018 under Rachael Blackmore.
He then ran 3rd in the Becher Chase over the National fences in 2019 and he put in a solid effort at last month’s Cheltenham Festival to place 4th behind Tiger Roll in the Cross Country Chase.
A real test of stamina could suit him these days and he’ll appreciate the better ground on Saturday so he’s not as much of an outsider as his odds suggest.
Tout Est Permis – 125/1
It’s a tough task for Tout Est Permis who has to saddle 4lb more in the Grand National than he would in a normal handicap. He was 4th in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February behind Acapella Bourgeois and Burrows Saint who he faces once more here.
That Fairyhouse performance was followed up with a fall at Down Royal when he was sent off the Even money favourite – he was also found to have bled after that performance. This will be his first run over the Aintree fences and he tends to jump to his right, far from ideal over the Grand National course, and, as the odds suggest, he is the least likely of the five Giggingstown runners to emerge triumphant here.
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