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TC 's Cheltenham bet Corach Rambler is GN fav
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Gaillard Du Mesnil's performance raises Aintree doubts
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Tony's 2022 84/1 winner will compete again
Given the low-key nature of this weekend's ITV racing, I imagine the ante-post prices will take longer than usual to come through, so I thought I would write a brief holding piece on the changes to the Grand National betting after last week's action at Cheltenham.
Well, actually, that is a lie. I was asked to do it and, after a bit of minor reluctance, I agreed, so here goes.
Corach Rambler favourite after Cheltenham
The Grand National - Aintree, Saturday April 15, 17:15
I was actually surprised by just how much impact the Cheltenham results had on the Aintree market.
However, given no horses can pick up a penalty after the publication of the weights, I really shouldn't have been, especially as there is a bigger gap to the race this year, with the National taking place on April 15 (it was the 9th last season), giving the Cheltenham horses longer time to recover.
The current 7/1 favourite on the Betfair Sportsbook (who are paying five places) is Corach Rambler (pictured below) who I thought was hugely impressive when winning the Ultima for the second year running after I backed him.
Sure, he only got home by a neck but he beat all the right horses - the next four home were priced up at 7/1, 6/1, 7/1 and 8/1 in the 23-runner handicap - and he'd be the top of my pile, too. He is trading at 9.08/1 win-only on the Betfair Exchange.
Noble Yeats will be competitive again
Noble Yeats may be 19lb higher than last year but his Graded body of work since, most recently his staying-on 15-length fourth (a description that does not give an accurate picture of the promise of his run, so far back did he come from) in the Gold Cup on Friday, suggests he will be hugely competitive once again.
He is into 8/1 on the Sportsbook, and a point bigger on the Betfair Exchange.
Cross Country winner Delta Work, third to Noble Yeats last season, is into 15.529/2 on the Exchange, and National Hunt Chase scorer Gaillard Du Mesnil has been trimmed in slightly to 16.531/2.
Mullins raises questions about GDM
I put the latter up at 16/1 after the publication of the weights last month but I was underwhelmed by his win, as I would have had grave doubts about him reeling in Mahler Mission (I am still very sore about him) had that one not fallen when still clear at the second-last.
It at least hinted that the National trip would suit him. But he did have a very tough race, and Willie Mullins' comments after the hard-fought win would have you considering getting out of the bet, if anything.
Mullins said: "The ground must be dead enough but Gaillard Du Mesnil didn't pick up the way he can pick up. I'm going to get home from here and look at both races (Grand National and Irish Grand National).
"Normally we would go back to Punchestown with a horse like this but that was a tough race and it might take him a while to get over it. The Irish Grand National and the Grand National might come too soon."
Not promising words for those already on, like myself, but hopefully the aforementioned gap between Cheltenham and Aintree this season will give Mullins enough time to sweeten him up.
I definitely wouldn't be getting involved with him at this stage, though, and I am surprised he hasn't drifted.
Longhouse Poet impresses at Down Royal
Galvin, Mr Incredible and Conflated were others to have run well in defeat at Cheltenham, certainly well enough to give their Aintree chances a slight boost but, away from the Festival, Longhouse Poet was another Grand National shortener.
He travelled like a dream in the race last season before emptying (he hit a low of 4.47/2 in running) and he certainly had a nice Aintree tee-up when winning at Down Royal last week.
That was a welcome winner for Martin Brassil and his owners too after they hit the bar with Fastorslow and An Epic Song at Cheltenham, beaten a neck and a head respectively.
More on this race nearer the time.