Reserves

2014 the field was 39 because a horse was declared a non runner after 9 am on the day before the race. They've changed it to 1pm now to try and avoid that scenario.

I gather Pendra is a 50/50 as he would be 5lb better in elsewhere,

Vicente ofc has the Scottish National and won't like the Aintree ground,

Are there other possible non-runners ?

There is ofc the Punchestown Festival - but the 3m5 race there is only a Grade B (Bless The Wings ran in it after Irish National), also wld suit Pleasant Company who also picked up an entry in the Punchestown 3m Nov Hrd, then ofc there is the Punchestown GC (Minella Rocco?), Topham (Shantou Flyer?),

Mb a lot will depend on how it rides towmorrow

I am sure I have forgotten the answer to this, but why can't the first reserve be a first reserve on the day.  I appreciate that means someone carting the horse to Aintree without the certainty of a run, but I bet they'd feel a whole lot better about this than lapsing on the Friday and then finding a non-runner Saturday morning.

How can they leave it till Saturday ?
Can you imagine the chaos and bad feeling in offices up and down the country.
The sweepstake will be cut into forty strips and handed out ......and then number 41 Splash Of Thunder And Vintage Clouds wins ....and nobody has the ticket.
Poor bloke who organised it accused of keeping the dosh and sent to  Coventry big time.

sixtwosix.      I always used to run the office sweep till I got a secretary - Leaving aside multiple promotions, that was the third most exciting thing to happen to me, but just behind company car and best of all, a parking space under the building.

seem to recall a horse named Bramblehill Duke ran as a reserve a few years back, think it fell at first Bechers

In 2010, two reserves - Cerium and Royal Rosa - got in due to strategic scratching by Howard Johnson and ANO (maybe Paul Murphy). In addition, the first reserve, Silver Birch, scratched rather than run. The fourth reserve was balloted out.

I could see Trevor Hemmings making a tactical withdrawal of Vicente to get Vintage Clouds into the race, fingers crossed anyway!

Childrens List taking a big walk in the market

I do know (don't ask how!) that there is some pressure around to get something down the reserves in the race - probably Vicente, but only guessing at that

(Vintage Clouds / not Vicente) ...

I think that too many have to come out to get Vintage Clouds in, and I am not sure that Michael O'Leary does favours (or that Rich Ricci and Willie will help out Michael)

Apr 11, 2018 -- 7:34PM, Rydal wrote:

I think that too many have to come out to get Vintage Clouds in, and I am not sure that Michael O'Leary does favours (or that Rich Ricci and Willie will help out Michael)

Yeah - no favours from them!, but Childrens List is a nice 8yo with few miles, would probably want better ground at this trip, could be an Irish National horse next yr, we'll see - the market sees him coming out anyway