Tag: Pineau De Re

Grand National 2015 ante-post update

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The weights were announced on Tuesday for the Aintree Grand National and there were no real surprises. As expected, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere (11st 12lb) is at the top of the handicap alongside recent Irish Hennessy winner Carlingford Lough. Both horses are on target for the festival and I don’t expect either of them to line up at Liverpool.

Many Clouds is next on 11st 9lb and his participation will also depend on what happens at next month’s festival. Paul Nicholls is quite keen on the chances of Unioniste (11st 6lb) but he could end up shouldering top weight and really needs soft ground to show his best.

After Tony McCoy announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season, I highlighted the prospect of Shutthefrontdoor being the gamble of the race. Jonjo O’Neill’s Irish National winner was 20-1 at the time and has now been slashed to half those odds. If you did not get on early, I would not rush out to take the current odds.

Our other ante-post selections were Spring Heeled and Monbeg Dude (both tipped at 33-1). The former is likely to return to action this weekend at either Fairyhouse or Kempton. Connections have been avoiding running him so as to protect his handicap mark and he has been allocated 10st 12lb at Aintree. That looks a perfect racing weight and Jim Culloty will be happy to see him jump round safely in third or fourth this weekend.

I was not at all dismayed to see Monbeg Dude well beaten in the Haydock Grand National Trial on Saturday. He ran in the same race two years ago and came from another county to sneak into the frame. He is 2lbs better off than last year when finishing seventh in the big race and will know more about those big fences this time. Although his best form is on soft, it is not essential and I wouldn’t put anyone off taking any 33-1 that remains about him.

Pineau De Re and Balthazar King are back again after filling the first two places last year. The winner is up 8lbs but you’d have to expect that. I think that everything fell into place for him last season after that eye-catching run over hurdles at the festival. He will need to show something at the meeting again this year to warrant support.

Our Ante-post Portfolio;

Shutthefrontdoor @20-1 William Hill

Monbeg Dude @33-1 Paddy Power

Spring Heeled @33-1 Paddy Power

Spring Heeled value at 33-1 for Grand National

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The all-weather racing may help to keep business ticking over in the betting shops but it’s no substitute for action on the turf. The recent cold snap has been eating into the fixture list but it does free up some time to look further ahead.

The entries for the 2015 Grand National were announced today with 98 horses taking the first step towards adding their names to the Aintree Hall of Fame. Pineau De Re already has his name etched into the history books after his great victory last season. Unfortunately I was not among his supporters as I was not entirely convinced that finishing third in a hurdle race at Cheltenham was an ideal prep race.

Dr Richard Newland knew better and he is adopting a similar policy this year. The horse has failed to sparkle in his first two outings but may bid to get on the comeback trail at Devon this weekend. Jonjo O’Neill’s Shutthefrontdoor has been among the market leaders since winning the Irish National but is now being challenged for favouritism by Unioniste.

I have a lot of time for the Paul Nicholls-trained grey but I just wonder if he has ruined his handicap mark with that win at Sandown last month. He has gone up 11lbs for that victory to 159 and he could even end up with top weight. Many Clouds (165) has been given an entry but I would imagine he would only run here if he was an early faller in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

I fancy Monbeg Dude to run a big race this year after finishing seventh on his first attempt. I regarded him as something of a mud lark after his Welsh National success but he proved he is better than that by winning a decent prize at Cheltenham on good ground. He has run two super trials at Newbury and Chepstow and is unlikely to do too much between now and Aintree.

The other one that catches my eye is the Irish hope Spring Heeled. Apart from being very appropriately named, he won the Kim Muir at Cheltenham in March when holding of Cause Of Causes. He was a fair fifth in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and his only run since was when fourth in the Galway Plate in the summer. Jim Culloty is no mug and he will have been protecting Spring Heeled’s handicap mark before the weights come out. I cannot see his mark going much above 150 which will give him a good racing weight.

Spring Heeled @33-1 Paddy Power

Monbeg Dude @33-1 Paddy Power

¼ odds, 1,2,3,4