When you get used to seeing pictures from the crowded stands at Cheltenham or the Aintree, it is easy to forget that racing over fences is, for the most part, a northwestern European affair. It is big in Britain, Ireland and France, but not even on the radar in Australia or the United States, where Flat Racing is the only game in town.
But the Great National cuts. It has a global reach, as Rachael Blackmore, last year’s jockey winner, put it this week, discussing the fan messages she received from around the world after her victory in the Minella Times that made history 12 months ago. A worldwide TV audience of 500 million was released this week, which may be just a guess, but it may not be too far off the mark. And William Hill said a few years ago that they were expecting to receive Grand National bets from 140 countries, another sign of the appetite for the most famous steeplechasing match in every corner of the globe. Crazy uncertainty helps. You can come to the National completely cold and have almost as many chances to find the winner as there are in the form. There is nothing like it, anywhere on Planet Earth, and the winner of this afternoon will take part in the most historic roll of the dice. This year’s race is as open as any other for years, with the Minella Times and Blackmore topping the market with 10-1 overnight, and no less than nine other horses less than 20-1. When a horse with Samcro’s proven talent, a Grade One winner in both hurdles and fences, is 30th on the list at around 80-1, you can be sure that this is a race where almost anything is possible. Either half could reach the top of the market with race time at 5.15pm, however, with Any Second Now, Delta Work and Snow Leopardess all popular at 11-1 and Eclair Surf, who was not guaranteed to run until the final statements on Thursday morning, it is a 14-1 chance. There could also be money for Longhouse Poet as he continues into the afternoon, given coach Martin Brassil’s remarkable 1-6-3 record with only three runners in the race to date. Horses from Willie Mullin stables go galloping on Grand National Day at Aintree. Photo: David Davies / PA It’s a bright, sunny, and clearly cold day in the Northwest, just as it was on Friday, and this persuaded Sulekha Varma, the course clerk, to drop 5 millimeters of water on the Grand National route overnight and 3 millimeters on the slopes with obstacles and Mildmay, who host the rest of today’s seven races. The action starts at 1.45 pm, when Blackmore, who was left untidy since her first walk of the week over the Ethniki fences on Friday, will drive Emitom, her only other card mount. A complete guide for all Grand National runners is here, some thoughts on the big race and the rest of ITV Racing action are here, and you will find all the news, results and much, much more here on the blog as the day unfolds. Good Great National!
