PUNTERS are piling on to maestro Willie Mullins ahead of next weekend’s Randox Grand National.
Cloth Cap remains the red-hot favourite, but it’s Burrows Saint that the bookies continue to cut in the betting.
The Irish dominated at Cheltenham Festival and Burrows Saint has been shortened into the 10-1 joint second favourite after sustained support.
Maestro Mullins has always had this race in mind for the eight-year-old and he had been well-fancied to go close in last year’s race before it was canned.
He runs in the famous pink and green silks of Susannah and Rich Ricci and won the Irish Grand National in 2019.
Mullins scored in the 2005 National at Aintree with Hedgehunter.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “Following their domination of last month’s Cheltenham Festival, it’s no surprise to see Irish-trained runners prominent in the Randox Grand National betting.
“But Cloth Cap is at least certain to start favourite for the ‘home side’, and he could well be sent off a shorter price than the 4-1 Tiger Roll was when winning his second National two years ago.”
The Ted Walsh-trained Any Second Now is also available at 10-1 and these Irish runners may well be the popular picks with punters wishing to take on the 7-2 jolly Cloth Cap.
Entries are out for the first two days of the meeting which gets underway on Thursday.
But officials at the track are bracing themselves for the possibility of snow and even frost before next Saturday’s showpiece.
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