Horse Antepost
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14 Feb 12
11:53
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05 Jan 10
By Paul Eacott 11:06AM 14 FEB 2012 racingpost.com
LEXUS CHASE winner Synchronised has been allotted top-weight of 11st 10lb for this year's John Smith's Grand National which takes place over 4m 4f and 30 fences at Aintree on April 14.
The weights were revealed on Tuesday for racing's most famous event and the competitiveness of this year's race is illustrated by the fact that 69 of the 82 entries (84 per cent) are in the handicap.
The Grand National, which has record prize-money of £975,000 this year, is the only race of the year for which the weights are specially framed by the BHA's head of handicapping, Phil Smith.
Ballabriggs, who carried 11st to victory in 2011, is second in the weights with 11st 9lb this year. Synchronised and Ballabriggs are the joint 16-1 second favourites with Betfred, the betting partner of the John Smith's Grand National meeting.
Irish-trained raiders have a tremendous recent record in the Grand National, winning six of the last 13 runnings, and they have strength in numbers this year, accounting for 31 entries. An Irish-trained winner is priced at 11-4 by Betfred.
Mon Mome, who sprang a 100-1 surprise in the 2009 Grand National, is the other past winner among the entries. He carried 11st when winning three years ago, 11st 7lb when falling at the 26th in 2010 and this year has been given 10st 8lb.
The David Pipe-trained Junior, the 14-1 market leader with Betfred, failed to get in the field last year but has a certain place in 2012 with 11st 2lb.
Julian Thick, managing director at Aintree said: "It is tremendous to see 69 of the 82 entries in the handicap and the 2012 renewal of the John Smith's Grand National promises to be a race full of quality on Saturday April 14, with a higher percentage of horses rated over 135 than ever before."
Many of the leading contenders in Betfred's betting are set to carry 11 stone or above including Weird Al (11st 8lb), the stable companion of Ballabriggs who captured the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October, and Midnight Chase (11st 8lb), who was successful in the Grade 2 ArgentoChase at Cheltenham last month.
The two scratchings deadlines for the 2012 Grand National are on February 28 and March 20, with the five-day confirmation stage on April 9.
The final declaration stage is at 10am on April 12 when there can be a maximum field of 40 runners, with the provision for up to four reserves.
LEXUS CHASE winner Synchronised has been allotted top-weight of 11st 10lb for this year's John Smith's Grand National which takes place over 4m 4f and 30 fences at Aintree on April 14.
The weights were revealed on Tuesday for racing's most famous event and the competitiveness of this year's race is illustrated by the fact that 69 of the 82 entries (84 per cent) are in the handicap.
The Grand National, which has record prize-money of £975,000 this year, is the only race of the year for which the weights are specially framed by the BHA's head of handicapping, Phil Smith.
Ballabriggs, who carried 11st to victory in 2011, is second in the weights with 11st 9lb this year. Synchronised and Ballabriggs are the joint 16-1 second favourites with Betfred, the betting partner of the John Smith's Grand National meeting.
Irish-trained raiders have a tremendous recent record in the Grand National, winning six of the last 13 runnings, and they have strength in numbers this year, accounting for 31 entries. An Irish-trained winner is priced at 11-4 by Betfred.
Mon Mome, who sprang a 100-1 surprise in the 2009 Grand National, is the other past winner among the entries. He carried 11st when winning three years ago, 11st 7lb when falling at the 26th in 2010 and this year has been given 10st 8lb.
The David Pipe-trained Junior, the 14-1 market leader with Betfred, failed to get in the field last year but has a certain place in 2012 with 11st 2lb.
Julian Thick, managing director at Aintree said: "It is tremendous to see 69 of the 82 entries in the handicap and the 2012 renewal of the John Smith's Grand National promises to be a race full of quality on Saturday April 14, with a higher percentage of horses rated over 135 than ever before."
Many of the leading contenders in Betfred's betting are set to carry 11 stone or above including Weird Al (11st 8lb), the stable companion of Ballabriggs who captured the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October, and Midnight Chase (11st 8lb), who was successful in the Grade 2 ArgentoChase at Cheltenham last month.
The two scratchings deadlines for the 2012 Grand National are on February 28 and March 20, with the five-day confirmation stage on April 9.
The final declaration stage is at 10am on April 12 when there can be a maximum field of 40 runners, with the provision for up to four reserves.
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Aintree weights: the reaction
Paul Nicholls (Neptune Collonges 11st 6lb, Niche Market 10st 4lb). "Both have got weights I half expected. Neptune is too consistent for his own good and he would seem to have plenty to me, but he did run well in a Scottish National with a big weight so he is used to it. Niche Market will get in and would appear to have a lovely weight." Dessie Hughes (Roberto Goldback 11st 4lb, Black Apalachi 11st 3lb, Rare Bob 10st 9lb, In Compliance 10st, Vic Venturi 10st). "Roberto Goldback is probably entitled to have that sort of weight, but Black Apalachi's weight is a disgrace. He hasn't run in almost two years, he's a 13-year-old now and they haven't dropped him a pound. "He's been round Aintree four times and has been unlucky a couple of times, but he can't be as good a horse as he was two years ago. The owners will be very disappointed and we'll have to have a think about whether we run him now. Rare Bob will probably run, along with Roberto Goldback." Tony Martin (Psycho 11st, Northern Alliance 10st, Saddlers Storm 9st 5lb). "They would all be intended runners if they get in, but I'll we'll just have to see where we are nearer the day. Psycho would be running off a mark of 153. He's rated 148 in Ireland, so it's not all that different and a few pounds isn't going to make a lot of difference in a National." Tom Taaffe (Treacle 10st 8lb). "Treacle has come out of the Hennessy well and the Grand National is absolutely the plan. He has gone up a stone in Ireland due to that run and otherwise he wouldn't have got into the National and that's why he ran at Leopardstown. He needed to run a good race and he's run his best race ever. "He was bought as a three-year-old for the owner Mr Nielsen with the intention to being a National horse some day, but we didn't think that it would take eight years! He jumps and stays, which is what you've got to do to have a chance in the National. He'll go straight there now." Stuart Crawford (Killyglen 10st 4lb). "Off that weight you'd be fairly hopeful he'd get in the race. He'll probably have a run somewhere during the first weekend in March. He could go the same route as last year and run in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster, or he could go to Kelso or Leopardstown. "He nearly made it round Aintree in the Grand National last year and he's a good jumper. With that bit more experience under his belt, I'd be hopeful he would get round this time and run a big race." Noel Glynn (Becauseicouldntsee 10st 3lb). "He's going to have a run over hurdles on Wednesday just to get his confidence back. He had a heavy fall in the National last year and in the Paddy Power. "He had 10st 8lb in the National last year so he's a few pounds lower, but that means he's not certain to get in. The National is his target and he'll run in the Kim Muir at at Cheltenham first. It's a nice weight." |