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A complete guide to the Grand National 2006 and 2007
There is little doubt that the ability to stay is one of the main requirements in the Grand National. Since the fences at Aintree have been rendered less difficult in recent years, the ability to get round increasingly favours the class horse.
Ante Post selection for 2008 Cloudy Lane The trends apparent in the race also offer strong pointers to those that will feature in the shake up. Because of this, it is possible to reduce the number of horses that can realistically be considered.
Irish trained horse have won 6 of the last 9 runnings. Because of the extreme distance of the race of 4 miles 4f a win over at least 3m is important 10/10 Must have the class to win so a win in a class 1 or 2 Chase 10/10 Aged between 8 - 11 as novice winners are rare 9/10 Carrying weight over extreme distances is obviously tiring so weight carried betwen 9st 13lb and 10st 12lb 9/10 Officially rated between 136 and 147 9/10 A topspeed figure of at least 128 9/10 Racing Post Rating of at least 144 10/10 Fitness and race practise requires three to five races since start of August 9/10 Experience counts so run between 10 and 27 times over fences, although too many miles on the clock is not so good 9/10 Won or placed in a class 1 National 8/10 Odds between 25-1 and 40-1 in ante-post market 8/10 Not won or only one win that season 8/10 Experience over the fences is also an advantage 6/10 This gives us the following for consideration in the ante-post market Cloudy Lane Simon Snowy Morning Parsons Legacy Patsy Hall Backbeat Slim Pickings We can narrow this down further when you consider that Patsy Hall dislikes big fields, Parsons Legacy could be too high in the handicap and Backbeat's credentials look suspect. Of the 5 remaining there is little to choose between the Irish contenders Slim Pickings and Snowy Morning, but Slim Pickings is preferred. Of the 3 British horses Cloudy Lane has ticks in all the right boxes and gets the vote. Cloudy Lane Win Slim Pickings each way
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