The Gigginstown Outfit

Calling out for 2 people to be sectioned while thinking you're better than them. I tell you now these 2 people have done better in life than you my friend. If they can afford to blow 170,000 on a day out is a clear sign that they have millions just laying out.

about time they banned this race.

so impossible what do you say to the owners of mala beach troytown chase winner owners been around racing for a long time,the owners of jury duty winner of the grade one american grand national,a horse that beat both shattered love and presenting percy the same season those two horses went on to win at the cheltenham festival,noble endeavour winner of a very strong handicap at leopardstown of a mark of 143,the gigginstown owned horses general principle irish national winner,dounikos less than two lengths behind monalee and al bhoum photo in a grade one at leopardstown,monbeg notorious a very easy winner of the 2018 thyestes chase,the grand national is a much better race nowadays and all these horses will be an asset to the race ,as elliott said himself yesterday he was not born with a silver spoon, if he has the horse good enough to qualify for the race what is the problem ?

I stand by my comments. Nothing remotely 'anti Irish' about them for goodness sake - if the Rooneys had 9 runners and had sold off 2 I'd make the same point (and as an aside, it amuses me that they have the gall to complain about the safety at Cheltenham but have no problem running horses in the riskiest race in the calendar).

If you accept that 9 from the same ownership is fine, do you think there should be any limit on the number from the same owner/stable? If not, then you'd have no problem with the entire field being in the same ownership. That'd be a wonderful spectacle wouldn't it, but oh, "times have changed", whatever that sententious rot means.

O'Leary has the red hot favourite, and has won it before. Does he really need to have 9 in the race, stopping other people having the opportunity of a runner. And don't tell me he's sold the two rags out of the goodness of his heart to give other people a chance. He had a great festival in 2018 but his interviews were utterly classless and sneering, boasting after one race that his winner was the 'worst in the yard'.

As for the purchasers of the two rags, if that's how they want to blow £170k good luck to them, obviously more money than sense, just to say "I've got a runner in the National". But it's pretty tacky - like buying a football club the night before a cup final. Surely the fun is in the journey, not taking a shortcut a couple of days before.

I'd agree one nation. It's become quite a routine now, the sale of horses at vastly inflated prices before the National. It worked for the Thompsons with Party Politics but few others have ever been sighted in the race itself.

Not how I'd choose to spend a spare 170k (or 300k in Blaklion's case).

Not sure you should take O'Leary's comments so seriously. I think his interviews are entertaining and far more interesting than the standard owner interview. Pessimist in chief, but with tongue firmly in cheek most of the time.

Trainer or owner should have as many runners as they want.

Surely if you own horses , you can enter as many as you want in race .

"sportsmanship" .....what does that even mean FFS

Silly fred, you just want the best/highest rated horses in the race. If they are owned/trained by one person then well done to them.

I wouldn't mind seeing a trainer & owner limit. Although some owners are part of multiple groups so that could be grey area.

As for the 2 horses sold, if either of them win, the trainer interview post race would be interesting!!!

Blimey, that's some memory you have workrider!!
Remembering the reaction(or lack of it)17 years ago!!!!.

Good point with Martin Pipe WR, matter of fact that was "worse" as any ould thing could win then,agree with Foxy,they are all contenders in their own right. The way the race is nowadays is the handicap isn't much more than a stone between the 40 runners, 142 squeezes in, Gordon has a plethora of similiar rated horses simply because the main owners modus operandi is a gold cup winner.

How many British trainers would have say 6 horses that are rated 142+ that could be considered for the national? Doubt there are any.

The reason people never said anything about Pipe having ten runners in the National is because he never had .

Pay millions for potential staying chasers but don't allow them to run in the richest race of the year..bonkers

Pointer went for 440k at Aintree.. doesn't take many of those to make seven figures plus nation

IMP spot on ..

I was teasing Isleham.

Also, at no point have I suggested banning anyone from running their horses, and of course you can make a case that every one of his runners is entitled to take its chance - I'm simply of the view it is unsporting and not really in the spirit of things to swamp the field and account for over 20% of it (and considerably worse in the case of the Irish National last year).

jimeen • April 5, 2019 7:56 PM BST

The reason people never said anything about Pipe having ten runners in the National is because he never had .

??

The fact that there is prize money all the way down to 10th spot is surely a major factor here.
£561,000 1st
£211,000 2nd
£105,000 3rd
£52,000 4th
£26, 000 5th

Certainly not peanuts even for 5th...!!

Michael Dickinson had 5 of the 11 runners in the 1983 Gold Cup and look what happened there....!!

The Gold Cup is a non-handicap and Michael Dickinson's charges were there on merit eg ran in the respectable/recognised trials and performed superbly, and accordingly.

Look at the Scottish Premiership: In the past one could be assured it was either a one-or-two horse race ie Celtic or Rangers unless either or both of these teams were rebuilding, and/or unrelated external factors come into play eg financial impropriety with Rangers.