Victimhood is no natural state for bookmakers, although they could be forgiven for bracing themselves ahead of a potential third “National” disaster in a dozen days.
Easter Monday’s public gamble on Soldier In Milan paid off spectacularly in the Irish Grand National, the 6/1 favourite winning easily. Last Saturday I Am Maximus was backed into 9/2 favourite, and landed the Aintree spectacular in style.
Now a crammed schedule finishes at Ayr on Saturday for the Coral Scottish Grand National, where four of the 21 runners are Irish-trained.
They include Road To Home, who will bid to give Willie Mullins a third success in a row in a race that prior to him hadn’t had an Irish-based winner in more than 150 years.
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He is joined by Joseph O’Brien’s Kim Roque, who will try to compensate his trainer for Jordans’ luckless effort at Aintree last weekend.
“He’s had a good year so far without winning, but hopefully he might be able to make an impact before the year is over,” O’Brien reported. “We think he has plenty of stamina, but we will find out [whether he handles four miles] at the weekend.”
Waterford-based Sarah Joanna Connell tries to upset the established order with Promontory, while topweight Blaze The Way represents Mags and Danny Mullins.
The latter scored on Macdermott in 2024 when his uncle was chasing the British trainer’s championship. Captain Cody pulled off the same feat a year ago under Harry Cobden. The trainers’ title is no issue this time, but Road To Home is a significant player based on his Kim Muir effort at Cheltenham when runner up to Ask Brewster.
Kim Roque was fourth in that Kim Muir, behind Ask Brewster, who scored officially for Welsh-based Cath Williams. Her husband Evan was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday for causing grievous bodily harm with intent in an incident on his land in 2024.
Soldier In Milan’s rider Donagh Meyler will try to pull off a famous National double on Promontory, who is one of just three horses trained by Connell.
The layers will be on their guard on another public gamble in a National, potentially even Kim Roque, who has been popular in ante-post betting. Harry Cobden is on Quebecois this time, and although he has a big weight, it is a mostly compressed handicap. The horse won over three miles over hurdles at this meeting a year ago, and could relish the marathon test.
Ireland’s weekend National Hunt action starts at Bellewstown on Saturday, where local trainer Gavin Cromwell may enjoy a good afternoon.
Ratings suggest Ole Ole should prove hard to beat in the opening maiden hurdle, while the evidence of a recent success on the flat at the Curragh suggests Fiver Friday ought to be hard to beat in a Mares handicap hurdle.
Gillane’s second to Charismatic Kid earlier this season is a notable piece of form and one that makes it curious how he hasn’t won up to now. The Cromwell runner can put that right in Saturday’s finale when donning first-time cheekpieces.
