Grand National 2015 Preview

National Express - It's Grand National time again and there's a sense of deja vu with my selections.

It’s that time of year again.

This Saturday all eyes will be on Aintree as the Grand National takes centre stage. Each year, along with the people’s race comes my runner-by-runner guide and after some relative success in recent years with a stream of placed horses, I’ll be trying to go one better and actually pick out the winner this time around.

As always it’s the most difficult race of the year of which to find the winner, as even the best handicapped of horses with all the right attributes for the race can come unstuck thanks to lady luck deserting them, but that’s why it’s the spectacle it is and why it still remains, no matter what anyone says, the greatest horse race on the planet.

The main hope once again is of course that all the stars, both human and equine, return safely and healthily following the race, but whether you’re looking for a big bet, a horse to stick a small each-way bet on or just checking whether the horse you drew in the sweepstake is any good or not hopefully you’ll find this runner-by-runner guide to the 2015 Grand National helpful.

Below you will find the competitors for Saturday’s Grand National and my take on each of their merits and chances in the world’s greatest race.

Grand National 2014 Tips and Preview

Eye Of The Tiger - Rocky Creek can win the Grand National for Paul Nicholls

The time is almost upon us again when the eyes of the general public descend on our fair sport for one afternoon of the year.

For better or worse, the Grand National remains a typically British tradition and, though controversial, a wonderful occasion for the whole family to enjoy.

As always my main hope for the race is that all forty horses and jockeys come back safe and sound, but if you’re having a bet in the race – which if you’re reading this you more than likely are – I have again compiled my annual runner-by-runner guide to hopefully allow you to place a bet on the people’s race using greater information than simply name or the colour of the jockey’s silks.

Though given what a lottery (ironically the name of the first ever winner of the race) the Grand National can be, you could do worse than betting based purely on name!

Since the changes to the race over the last few years the line-up has become stronger and stronger and more than ever you now need a proven top class horse. Below you will find the forty horses set to jump thirty fences and travel just under four and a half miles round Aintree along with their credentials for the world’s greatest steeplechase.

Hennessy Gold Cup 2013 Preview

You Can't Stop The Rock - Rocky Creek is a strong Hennessy fancy

This Saturday sees the staging of probably my favourite national hunt race of the season, the steeped in tradition Hennessy Gold Cup.

The Newbury race has been won by some greats of the jumping game over the years, Mandarin, Arkle and the mighty Denman all won the race twice while Mill House, Burrough Hill Lad and One Man also feature on the roll of honour.

Over the last decade the race has consistently been a vital piece of form for the remainder of the season, producing multiple Grade 1 winners, whilst also setting the pulse racing with thrilling narratives throughout the race.

Denman’s three runs in the race (his two post-Gold Cup win especially) were some of the most emotionally charged races I’ve ever witnessed and Bobs Worth’s win in the race last year was another pulsating afternoon of sport.

This year’s renewal might not quite have that sort of star power, but in a typically competitive running we could potentially have an array of stars emerge from the race when it’s all said and done.

Ten To Follow - National Hunt 2013 - 2014

As the last horse crossed the line in the St. Leger – the horse that I backed incidentally – winter inched one step closer, and we are now only a matter of weeks away from the national hunt season kicking in to high gear.

Thus it is time for my now bi-annual look at ten to follow from the upcoming season.

Last year’s ten horses did us proud over the course of the season, with many running well at the highest level on multiple occasions. I’ve tried to be a bit more creative with this jumps season’s ten to follow whilst still not going too left of centre. By that I mean sticking to horses that have the potential to make it to the top of the tree over whatever obstacle it is they end up lining up against in 2013-2014, but trying to avoid the glaringly obvious.

So without further ado, here are my ten horse to follow for the 2013-2014 National Hunt season:-

Festival Focus - RSA

Boston B Party - Boston Bob looks an ideal sort for the RSA

The RSA is possibly my favourite race at the Cheltenham Festival. I don’t know what it is about it, as it tends to be more of a war of attrition than a display of mercurial talent, but perhaps thanks to Denman’s fantastic win in the race back in 2007 this race is always one I look forward to more than certain others during Cheltenham week.

This year’s race however is looking increasingly sparse on top talent, perhaps due to a rather poor crop of novice chasers. Last year’s novices have proved to have been a vintage bunch through their exploits this season, but with the exception of Dynaste we really haven’t seen anything else worth getting too excited about to date.

So with that said it comes as no surprise that the David Pipe-trained grey is a very short-priced ante-post favourite for the race often called the novice Gold Cup.

Dynaste is a worthy favourite but at 5/2 he looks anything but a good price given how far away from the race we still are and just how many short-priced favourites have been turned over in this race in recent years. There’s still a part of me too that suspects he may not even run, as the RSA has a habit of really ripping horses’ guts out.

Last year’s winner and runner-up Bobs Worth and First Lieutenant have proved that you can come out of the race and kick on as a second season chaser but the list of horses who’ve never quite been the same after the RSA makes for worrying reading.