Even after Tiger Roll’s sensational performance in winning the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, owner Michael O’Leary would not budge from his decision to keep the horse away from the Grand National. The airline chief was disappointed with Tiger Roll’s rating in the build-up to the race, and as a result he decided that the 11-year-old would not be afforded the opportunity to make it three Grand National triumphs on the spin.
The absence of the 2018 and 2019 winner means that the field is wide open for a new champion to come to the fore. Given that last year’s race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, by the time the Grand National rolls around this year it will have been four years since any horse other than Tiger Roll won the Aintree showpiece.
There is plenty to play for, so let’s take a look at a few likely contenders who will be much fancied on the page with the 2021 Grand National odds.
Cloth Cap
The bookmaker’s favourite at this stage is Cloth Cap, trained by Jonjo O’Neill. It was the nine-year-old’s performance in the Premier Chase at Kelso earlier this month that saw him jump to the summit of the betting market, and all the horse’s connections will be dreaming of Grand National glory.
Trainer O’Neill enjoyed a taste of high-profile success at the Cheltenham Festival after Sky Pirate triumphed in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase on day two of the meeting, and he’ll be hoping to land an even greater success with Cloth Cap in the Grand National. Of course, he won it before with Don’t Push It 10 years ago, so you wouldn’t put it past him repeating the trick.
As much as any horse can be considered a favourite in a race as unpredictable as the Grand National, Cloth Cap will take some beating.
Any Second Now
The second horse on our radar is Any Second Now, trained by Ted Walsh and owned by J. P. McManus. The nine-year-old earned a fine victory earlier this month in the Webster Cup Chase at Navan, and Walsh will have his sights firmly set on the Grand National.
The Irish trainer last won the Grand National in 2000, so it’s been 21 years since Walsh landed a winner at the Aintree showpiece. In the form of Any Second Now, he may just have another shot at adding to that millennium success.
Burrows Saint
Another relatively short-priced contender for the Grand National is Burrows Saint. Trained by Willie Mullins, the eight-year-old can be found at a price of around 14/1, and although he hasn’t won a race since victory at Punchestown in December 2019, it’s clear that Mullins is putting every effort into making Burrows Saint a top contender for this year’s race.
Mullins will be desperate to land a winner, having not tasted victory in the Grand National since 2005, when Hedgehunter got the win with Ruby Walsh in the saddle. That was Mullins’ one and only Grand National winner to date, so he could be due another given the form of his horses over the last couple of years. He’ll be hoping that Burrows Saint can end the drought.