Neil Morrice previews the 2019 Randox Health Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade 1) below. View his prediction below, and take your bets today with Hollywoodbets!
Video Preview of the 2019 Grand National by Neil Morrice:
Randox Health Grand National Handicap Chase 2019
This is still the greatest spectacle in horse racing and should TIGER ROLL become the first horse to win it back-to-back since Red Rum in 1974 Gordon Elliott’s charge will bring the house down. He prevailed by a paper thin margin last year but his subsequent exploits strongly suggest he’s a lot better now. He demolished some cross-country specialists in the Glenfarclas at Cheltenham and in one of the biggest sustained gambles of recent times has been backed into 7-2 which is a ridiculous price for any horse in the National. Even the immortal Red Rum never started shorter than 9-1 for any of his three victories.
Irish-trained horses have a dominance in the race these days and one that really takes my eye is RATHVINDEN with whom Willie Mullins has adopted the ‘kid glove’ treatment, affording him just one preparatory outing at Fairyhouse and Ruby Walsh is in the irons now. A former Cheltenham Festival winner, he has all the credentials you look for with his superb jumping, ability to stay the distance, being at 11 the right age and also having that certain touch of class.
ROCK THE KASBAH has a certain allure to him with the added assistance of champion jockey Richard Johnson in the saddle. Philip Hobbs has given Diana Whateley’s Chepstow specialist a classic National preparation and if he takes to the fences he can be competetive.
Mullins is blessed with an ultra powerful hand and UP FOR REVIEW us another name to conjure with in the silks of owners Andrea and Graham Wylie – the gelding was in cruise control until a mistake knocked him for six at the Festival. Prior to that he’d placed in the Thyestes Chase and if the ground dries up it won’t bother him.
STEP BACK could come into the equation as the winner of the old Whotbread Gold Cup at Sandown and a horse that Mark Bradstock has campaigned sparingly this season. He’s in with a shout.
Others that are hard to put your pen through are VINTAGE CLOUDS and LAKE VIEW LAD. They filled third and fourth places in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Festival but might have endured hard races.
Predicted Finish
13 – 3 – 29 – 15 – 26
1st – RATHVINDEN (13)
2nd – Tiger Roll (3)
3rd – Up For Review (29)
4th – Rock The Kasbah (15)
5th – Step Back (26)
View the full final field for the 2019 Grand National, along with jockeys and trainers here.
