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| Many Clouds looking to emulate Red
Rum |
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| No horse since Red Rum in 1974
has won back-to-back runnings of the Grand National. But that won’t put
off connections of Many Clouds this season as they are set to campaign their
horse for the 4m4f steeplechase over the bigger obstacles at Aintree once again
following success earlier this year. |
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 by
Carine06 |
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Many Clouds already tops the
betting with many bookmakers for
the Grand National 2016 but if he is to win the famous race
again, he will have to do so this time with much more weight on his back than
last April.
Sherwood’s star chaser could start his campaign in the
next couple of weeks. He began last season at Carlisle by winning an
intermediate chase over a much shorter trip of 2m4f. He then ran on three
occasions before Aintree, including at the Cheltenham Festival where he
finished sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup where he was not completely unfancied
at 7/1 in the race won by Coneygree.
Recent trends do suggest better
horses are winning the Grand National. Between 1990 and 2005, only one horse,
Hedgehunter, scored in the race with 11 stone or more. In the past seven years,
four runners have achieved that feat, with the highest weight being carried by
Neptune Collonges when he succeeded by the narrowest of margins following a
photo-finish in 2012.
The challengers to Many Clouds this season could
include two-time King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti. Connections
will probably still aim for another shot at the showpiece race at Kempton on
Boxing Day and then the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, they may also be tempted
to try their luck at Aintree, considering how well Many Clouds did in the 2015
race on the back of his Cheltenham run. |
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Carine06 |
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Silviniaco Conti is nine years
old and is now reaching the prime age for a run in the Grand National. He has
won on his last two visits to Aintree as he scored in the 2014 and 2015 Bowl
Chase. The big positive for backers of this horse would be his jumping. He has
only once fallen in his career as he clears his obstacles with ease.
The other horse which is prominent in the early betting for the 2016
Grand National is The Druids Nephew. He unfortunately fell in the race last
year when he was fancied to do well at 10-1. He made one mistake last April and
suffered the consequences.
The Druids Nephew’s only victory last
season came at the Cheltenham Festival where he won the Ultima Business
Solutions Handicap Chase, a Grade Three contest over 3m1f. He also finished
second at the same track earlier in the campaign in the Grade Three Murphy
Group Handicap Chase where he went off as the 4-1 favourite.
Neil
Mullholland’s runner does have an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2016
so there are various options for connections. A decision on what route he will
take at the back end of the season will probably be made in 2016. |
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