Cabaret Queen won the Kerry National at Listowel yesterday (September 23) and is now 50/1 to win the Grand National at Aintree in April. The winner is trained by Willie Mullins who won the National in 2005, with Hedgehunter.
Tiger Roll is the ante-post favourite at a general 14/1 with the major online United Kingdom bookmakers. If running, he will be trying to be the first horse to win three successive Nationals after being thwarted by the abandonment of the race in 2020. Cabaret Queen will be aged nine in the spring and that age group has a good record in the most famous chase in the world.
Paul Townend’s mount looked beaten after the last fence at Listowel but held on to beat the outsider Moyhenna by a nose. Mullins noted that his runner did not miss a fence and made up ground at each obstacle.
Getting into a rhythm and sound jumping are obviously important for the National and Cabaret Queen displayed these attributes over three miles in the Kerry National. The next target may be the Munster National which Cabaret Queen won in 2019 but Aintree could be the ultimate objective.
In other National news, Amalfi Doug won the Class 2 handicap chase over three miles at Perth so could develop into an Aintree horse. Easyrun De Vassy won well at Fontwell in a similar race but has since made a serious jumping error at the same track which does not augur well for Aintree.