Stamina is everything in the famous contest since the fences were softened and Ballyoptic’s credentials can’t be doubted“I’m so lucky! I’ve got a wealth of talent,” said Nigel Twiston-Davies when asked about his nine entries for this year’s Grand National at the unveiling of the weights on Tuesday. The Gloucestershire trainer had his tongue at least partly in his cheek but his Ballyoptic is very nicely positioned on 10st 11lbs and looks the best long-range pick of the 110 possible runners at odds of 33-1.Stamina is everything in the famous Aintree contest since the fences were softened and Ballyoptic’s credentials can’t be doubted in light of his powerful finish in last year’s Scottish Grand National. Alas for all concerned, he...
The winning jockey seemed at a low ebb in December 2013, when O’Leary fired him over the most famous cup of tea in the history of Irish jumps racingResilience is needed for any Grand National victory and Davy Russell finally got his reward here for proving perhaps the only employee Michael O’Leary could not get rid of. Just over four years ago, O’Leary called time on their relationship as owner and principal jockey but Russell rode his way back into the Ryanair man’s good books, leading to this shared moment of glory in the biggest jumps race of them all.Russell seemed at a low ebb in December 2013, when O’Leary fired him over the most famous cup of tea in...
There is still a day in April when a race in north-west England halts our separation for a few hours at least, and the horse is briefly reinstated in our national consciousnessIn his recent book Farewell to the Horse: the Final Century of our Relationship, the German writer Ulrich Raulff charts what he sees as “the exodus of the horse from human history”. The “separation of man and horse”, Raulff says, “is not only a done deal, it is also a finished process”, and on 364 days of the year, it is hard to argue. There is still a day in April, though, when a horse race in the north-west of England halts the exodus for a few hours at...
Lalor, a horse discovered by the late trainer Richard Woollacott, won the Grade One Top Novice Hurdle at AintreeGreg Wood: After the success of Lalor in the Grade One Top Novice Hurdle, the Aintree winner’s enclosure was thick with emotion for the trainer Kayley Woollacott, whose husband, Richard, was found dead in January at the age of 40. Related: Grand National’s trio of female jockeys focus on victory, not history Related: Grand National 2018: a horse-by-horse betting guide Continue reading...