Page 18 of 18 FirstFirst ... 8131415161718
Results 341 to 349 of 349

Thread: The Road to the Grand National 2018

  1. #341
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,659
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,482 Times in 2,742 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Danny View Post
    Did you cash it out in the end Des or did you let it roll ! Pardon the pun.
    I let it roll, as I did with all of them.

    I genuinely didn't enjoy the race too much. The only one I could get really excited about was Noble Endeavor who was scratched a while back. I was always struggling to get really enthusiastic about anything.

    On purely handicapping terms, Tenor Nivernais and Road To Riches stood out after NE's withdrawal but my bets on them were much smaller than usual for a five-star pick. Last year my big fancy was Definitly Red and his form this season has shown he should have hacked up, not that it mattered as I backed One For Arthur anyway.

    The year before it was The Last Samuri and the year before that The Druids Nephew who was clear and cantering (but he might have ended up doing a Blaklion) five or six out. I really thought they were just about unbeatable.

    This year was more like 2014, when I struggled to fancy anything strongly. I had taken Triolo D'Alene despite his only being a 7yo. I don't think I've backed a 7yo since.

    I do take a scattergun approach and don't apologise for it. Paul Kealy, in his Weekender piece, said, in addition to his three overall Weekender tips for the race:

    ... but I've mentioned before that my rather barmy National system is to back every horse who would annoy me if they won because I'd had a good bet on them for another race in the past, so I will personally be having several more at some point.
    Mine is not dissimilar. I tend to back three or four in a decent big-field Saturday handicap so why wouldn't I back ten or twelve in the National if the prices are right. This year I didn't get involved with short-shots like Blaklion - which I dismissed at the start of the thread - or Anibale Fly or Total Recall or Ucello Conti or Vieux Lion Rouge etc etc; horses that were pretty short when the betting opened. When you dismiss a lot of the favourites the value elsewhere kicks in.

    I said early in the thread I wouldn't list the winners of the race I've backed as nobody would believe me. I can tell you since 2012 the only years I've missed out on finding the winners were:

    2015 Many Clouds which was more of an oversight than anything else as it was on my list of 160+-rateds but I was so sure The Druids Nephew was going to win anyway!

    2012 Neptune Collonges (I got a Facebook message the other day reminding me that I'd said Sunnyhill Boy was my main fancy after all) which I'd told the brother I was going to back since I rated it Gold Cup class but for some reason didn't.

    I went through a barren spell for a few years missing out on Monty's Pass, Amberleigh House and Hedgehunter in succession. They may just have been blips as I'd found 8 of the previous 11 betting only five or six in the race. Royal Athlete was a sickener as I'd backed him in his previous attempts. Deep down, he's probably why I take out sickness insurance these days.
    Last edited by Desert Orchid; 15th April 2018 at 10:56 AM.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  2. The Following User Says Thank You to Desert Orchid For This Useful Post:

    Danny (15th April 2018)

  3. #342
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    2,903
    Thanks
    775
    Thanked 229 Times in 179 Posts
    Having read 'Go Down to the Beaten' recently I'm not ashamed of having lots of bets because I look on the race as a bit of fun/brain training and, if a horse I back ante post starts the race much shorter I think I've won anyway.

  4. #343
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    North Cork. Home of steeple chasing
    Posts
    5,341
    Thanks
    2,209
    Thanked 1,335 Times in 801 Posts
    Blog Entries
    7
    Tiger Roll deserves a book to be written about him.
    Purchased by Darley for the flat, sold unraced to Seagram's jockey Nigel Hawke for 10k who won a 3 year old hurdle at Market Rasen and flipped him for 70k to Giggi; onto Triumph hurdle success before looking like becoming a summer jumper with wins at Ballinrobe and Kilbeggan before a Munster National win for Lisa O'Neill propelled both towards Festival glory in NH chase, before repeating the dose in Cross Country Chase.
    Surely the stuff of fairytale like his fellow 8year old Aintree victor Red Rum.
    Add in the Davy factor, fired by Giggi in Dec 2013, became his first winner back for Giggi, Triumph Hurdle '14. "the day the fog lifted "for Davy and this Grand National is his first ride on him since Punchestown 2014.
    Thoughts with pdleech whose Bay Of Freedom danced a few dances with the Tiger along the way; hopefully the ulcers pass and glories await down the road once again.
    Tiger ran in Killarney the evening Wings Of Eagles won his maiden, just to add to the story: when did an Epsom Derby and Grand National winner last run at the same meet anyone ?

  5. The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to edgt For This Useful Post:

    + Show/Hide list of the thanked

    an capall (16th April 2018), Bonjers (16th April 2018), Carl (16th April 2018), chroniclandlord (15th April 2018), Colin Phillips (16th April 2018), Danny (16th April 2018), Desperate Dan (16th April 2018), Diamond Geezer (16th April 2018), Grasshopper (16th April 2018), jinnyj (15th April 2018), Len Madeiros (16th April 2018), NewApproach (16th April 2018), Perpetual (16th April 2018), Tout Seul (16th April 2018)

  6. #344
    Senior Member Grey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Dublin
    Posts
    9,397
    Thanks
    882
    Thanked 912 Times in 550 Posts
    Great stuff, Eddie

  7. #345
    Senior Member Grasshopper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    16,018
    Thanks
    1,467
    Thanked 1,553 Times in 1,112 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    Tremendous stuff, Ed.
    "Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".

    SlimChance, March 2018

  8. #346
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    1,272
    Thanks
    628
    Thanked 489 Times in 302 Posts
    That's a beautiful little piece Ed and plenty I wasn't aware of in a few lines.
    Man who catch fly with chopstick .... accomplish anything.

  9. #347
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,659
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,482 Times in 2,742 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Euronymous View Post
    Any thoughts on the Scottish? I'm drawn a bit to Ballyoptic. Novices have a good record and he ran better than I thought he would in the RSA.
    Probably worth a thread of its own.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  10. #348
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    4,194
    Thanks
    562
    Thanked 1,222 Times in 620 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by edgt View Post
    Tiger Roll deserves a book to be written about him.
    Purchased by Darley for the flat, sold unraced to Seagram's jockey Nigel Hawke for 10k who won a 3 year old hurdle at Market Rasen and flipped him for 70k to Giggi; onto Triumph hurdle success before looking like becoming a summer jumper with wins at Ballinrobe and Kilbeggan before a Munster National win for Lisa O'Neill propelled both towards Festival glory in NH chase, before repeating the dose in Cross Country Chase.
    Surely the stuff of fairytale like his fellow 8year old Aintree victor Red Rum.
    Add in the Davy factor, fired by Giggi in Dec 2013, became his first winner back for Giggi, Triumph Hurdle '14. "the day the fog lifted "for Davy and this Grand National is his first ride on him since Punchestown 2014.
    Thoughts with pdleech whose Bay Of Freedom danced a few dances with the Tiger along the way; hopefully the ulcers pass and glories await down the road once again.
    Tiger ran in Killarney the evening Wings Of Eagles won his maiden, just to add to the story: when did an Epsom Derby and Grand National winner last run at the same meet anyone ?
    More I mull this over, the more I realise what a versatile little horse this is and very much in the mould of Red Rum. Still only 8 and look what he's achieved. Like Red Rum destined for the Flat initially he's also blessed with a brain who adapts to any role. The Triumph so often bottoms a young horse yet 2 years later, he's out winning the four miler and then 2 years on again he's taking the Cross Country (finishing exhausted and requiring treatment) and then bounces back to win the Grand National. No mean feat!
    tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito

  11. #349
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13,884
    Thanks
    2,576
    Thanked 4,128 Times in 2,052 Posts
    Video of the race as seen by Brian Hughes on Seeyouatmidnight (there is no sound)

    https://vimeo.com/264775450/b9d3b599a4
    Last edited by Diamond Geezer; 17th April 2018 at 5:02 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •