MIDLANDS GRAND NATIONAL
Saturday 16th March, 3:00pm
Mr Incredible @ 4/1
Iron Bridge @ 4/1
Autonomous Cloud @ 6/1
My Silver Lining @ 6/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
RACE
Done your money at Cheltenham? Or swimming in funds perhaps. Either way, there’s nothing quite like finishing Festival week on the hunt for the winner of Uttoxeter’s £150,000 Midlands Grand National (3-00). Since the turn of the century, Irish runners have generally had to concede to the hosts, so Mr Incredible – named after his trainer, fans will no doubt gush – attempts to give Willie Mullins a first success.
MARKET
Mr Incredible is on the track for the first time since the Aintree Grand National when taking plenty of bets with him as a slipping saddle unseated Brian Hayes at the second Canal Turn. Previously he’d put in a fine weight-carrying performance to finish third in the Kim Muir, and remains on a competitive weight level.
Iron Bridge is on the same mark as when third, six lengths behind the thriving runner-up My Silver Lining at Haydock.
My Silver Lining and her jockey James Best have been enjoying a magnificent time, and the grey mare has been raised only four more pounds for that courageous effort and has to be fancied again, not least because her rating is still only translating to ten-stone nine, nice in the conditions.
Autonomous Cloud likes Uttoxeter and beat Iron Bridge narrowly over three miles on this card last year, but doesn’t appear particularly attractively handicapped. Guetapan Collonges has twelve lengths to make up on My Silver Lining compared to their third and first places at Warwick early in the year, but has some help from the handicapper to try to bridge the gap.
Ask Me Early faces a tougher assignment than when winning a veterans’ chase at Exeter, while former winner Trucker’s Lodge and Beauport are best judged on their close finish at Sandown. Farceur Du Large has been flourishing at a less frenetic level.
CORNELIUS’ QUARTET
Staying at Uttoxeter, the one-eyed One Eye On Vegas (1-50) has been clobbered by the handicapper following his latest win but he bolted up from a promising opponent.
White Rhino (2-25) was being lined up for Cheltenham but didn’t get a run and this could provide valuable consolation for an inform stable with good chances all day.
After a standout Cheltenham week, Dan and Harry Skelton will be wanting to keep up the good work and the stable has a plethora of chances at Uttoxeter and at Kempton where Flegmatik (2-45), not beaten far in a more competitive handicap last time, attempts to win his fourth race at a track where he almost invariably runs well.
In the 4-22 at Newcastle, Libor Lad is popular despite rising up the handicap, but Call Me Jack went into my tracker last time.
THE WINNER
I’m not deserting My Silver Lining – what about you?
For all your bets on the racing, visit our dedicated horse racing betting page.
