Grand National Day!

         Lady Balko runs today ay Chepstow!
Today is of course Grand National Day!  We don’t have any runners at Aintree but we do have two at Chepstow, King Turgeon and Lady Balko.  King Turgeon runs in the 2.15pm handicap chase over 2m7f and Gearoid Harney rides.  He bounced right back to form last time at Taunton in first time blinkers to be a very close second and I don’t see why he won’t go very well today.  It is quite a trappy open looking race and we are 9/2 third best in the betting, but he finished second at the track earlier this season and with Gearoid back on board claiming seven pounds hopefully we won’t be far away.  I am not sure he appreciated the really heavy ground he encountered mid-way through his season and liked the better conditions last time and a repeat of that run gives him every chance.  He is in good form at home so fingers crossed!

Lady Balko has had a terrific season already, having scored a hat-trick of wins and then finishing a close second last time when the trip was a little on the short side for her.  She will appreciate the return to 2m7f today in the handicap hurdle at 3.32pm and David Noonan rides.  She is running off a career high mark and carries top weight in this, but I think she can win.  Her good attitude is her biggest asset and she will try her best.  She won’t mind the track or the ground and heads the betting at 5/2. 

The Aintree card gets underway at 1.20pm with the big race due off at 4pm.  I haven’t got any strong fancies for the National itself, but I don’t see why Corach Rambler won’t put up another bold show and try to repeat his win of twelve months ago.  Owner J P McManus has had a very good Aintree meeting so far and looks to have a very good chance in particular with Limerick Lace who I believe he has backed!  I shall also be cheering on Kitty’s Light for the Christian Williams team and our stable jockey Jack Tudor.  In the Topham over the Grand National fences yesterday there were no fallers and with just the one un-seated jockey and so fingers crossed all horses and jockeys will come back safely later this afternoon.  Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott train nearly half of the field in the race and if either Willie or Dan Skelton (Paul Nicholls does not have a runner) win the big race than this would virtually secure the trainers championship for the victor.

As well as Aintree and Chepstow there is also jumps racing at Newcastle.  There are flat meetings at Chelmsford, Yarmouth and Wolverhampton and in Ireland they just have an all-weather flat card at Dundalk.

In other sporting news, I am very much enjoying watching the Masters Golf from Augusta, where I love watching Scottie Scheffler in particular.  I like Rory McIlory but Scheffler looks a class above everyone at the moment. 

There are six Premiership football matches today with the early kick off being Newcastle at home to Spurs at 12.30pm.  Man City are at home to Luton while the tea-time kick off is Bournemouth against my team, Manchester United. 

I ordered a chicken and an egg on Amazon.

I’ll let you know!

Have a good day and enjoy the Grand National.