Grand National Thread

[sportform]

I have put up a thread for the Grand National (and the Aintree meeting). The final 40 have now been declared for the big race on Saturday and can be seen on the Racing Post website at:-

http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/card.sd?race_id=576664&r_date=2014-04-05&big_race=Y&raceTabs=#raceTabs=sc_

My early fancies include Long Run 14/1, Triolo D'Alene 20/1, Rocky Creek 16/1, Big Shu 25/1 and Raz De Maree 50/1.

[Soldier_Of_Fortune]

Long Run can't jump for cack. I backed him in the Gold Cup and he must clipped nearly every fence on the run, still won though.

[racingnut]

A diluted,dumbed down version of what it used to be but still a tremendous spectacle.As a purist who grew up with some of the real Aintree warriors, the new course whilst horse and jockey friendly,is a slight insult to those who conquered it when it had teeth.Ive watched the race a few times over and I cant believe that some of those who finished on the premises actually made it round,some were hitting these plastic imitation fences(yes,they are synthetic cored) halfway up.That aside,the National has again thrown up a little bit of a racing fairytale and massive congratulations go to all those connected with the winner,once again NH racing proves that tilting at the windmill is still possible.An antepost voucher on Rocky Creek recoups a small profit,he ran a screamer having been left in front far too soon by Across the Bays unfortunate episode going out second spin.He comes out as easily the best in the race at revised weights and ive already backed him for next years Gold Cup.

[CaledonianCraig]

I was working so missed the race but looked like it was pretty dramatic. I agree with racingnut.

A statistically fact is that from the late 1970s through until the early 1990s fewer horses were killed in the race than after the animal rights forced the changes. Once changes were brought in to take away drops on landing sides and makes the fences supposedly safer more horses lost their lives - that is a statistical fact. The late Ginger McCain tapped into this as well saying when the course was tougher the horse jumped with more caution as did the jockeys. When they made the fences less tough t the core horses could brush through the fence but would lose their landing gear (front legs) and land more dangerously causing fatal injuries whereas if the fence had remained tough at the core the horse would have gor stuck in the fence (soft landing) and fired the jockey over the fence.

[TopoftheChops]

my horse came second

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