RACHAEL BLACKMORE goes into the Grand National confident her gambled-on horse Ain’t That A Shame can run a huge race.
Here, the Betfair ambassador goes through all her runners on Saturday at Aintree.
The public are backing Blackmore to win the Grand National again
1.45 – Marvel De Cerisy
I ride Marvel De Cerisy in the opening race at Aintree on Grand National day, the Maghull Chase.
He ran well for a long way in the Magners Plate at Cheltenham, he travelled well to the third last fence.
He was just caught tight for room and had his momentum stopped a bit there, and that definitely didn’t help.
He is dropping down in trip to two miles, but he won his maiden hurdle over two miles and a furlong and he probably would have finished second behind Impervious in her beginners’ chase at Wexford over two miles in October had he not come down at the final fence.
He obviously has plenty to find with Jonbon, but he should be suited by the faster pace that they should go over two miles.
He is a young horse who has lots of scope to improve.
3.00 – Cool Survivor
I ride Cool Survivor in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. I have never ridden him before, but he is a very nice ride to pick up for Gordon and Gigginstown.
He has to bounce back from his run in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham, when he was sent off as joint favourite, but hopefully he can, because his form from earlier in the season is good.
He won his maiden and a listed race, and he probably put up his best performance in finishing a close fourth behind Good Land in the Grade 1 two-mile-six-furlong hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.
This is a very competitive race, but hopefully he can go well.
5.15 – Ain’t That A Shame
I love the Grand National. It’s a class race, and all that goes with it. All the history.
And it’s a great feeling, getting ready for the race again, knowing that I was lucky enough to win it before.
Nobody expects to win the Grand National. You go there hoping, but you need so many things to fall your way.
You only get one shot at most at winning it every year, if you are lucky enough to even get one shot at it, and even when you do, you usually have just one chance in 40 of winning it.
There’s such a buzz in the weigh room, so much anticipation. And when you go out to ride in it, nobody is putting pressure on you. Go out and enjoy yourself. The best of luck.
Ain’t That A Shame has a lovely profile for the race. He was unlucky to be just beaten in the Munster National at Limerick in October, and it wasn’t my best day in the saddle when I finished fourth on him in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Noble Yeats was a 50-1 winner of the National last year but he’s carrying a lot more weight this time round
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But he won nicely at Gowran the last day, and it was no harm that the runner-up came out and won at Fairyhouse there at the weekend.
You don’t really know how a horse will handle the track or the fences until you get out there, but he had a pop over the National fences at The Curragh, and he went well. I’d be confident that he will take to the fences fine.
He travels well through his races, which is a big help. You’re just hoping that you can get into a nice position and find a nice racing rhythm over the first few fences.
I am hopeful that he can. After that, you never know, it’s the Grand National, but he has his chance and I’m very much looking forward to it.
