Tiger Roll has been removed from the betting for the 2021 Grand National by most bookmakers after a lifeless run at Cheltenham and that does not augur well for the historic third win at Aintree in the spring.
Only one of the major UK-facing operators quotes Tiger Roll for the most famous steeplechase in the sport. That is Betway, a firm with a terrible reputation, and unsurprisingly there is no proviso ‘with a run’ which means stakes are not returned if the two-time winner is withdrawn. So their quoting of the horse looks to be drawing in money on a likely non-runner so ignorant punters lose their stakes. That is unethical at the very least.
Tiger Roll could yet be reintroduced into some lists but you should be cautious with any bets. The impression from the trainer, Gordon Elliott, is that his famous horse will be retired but we can only speculate at this stage.
Any quotes for Tiger Roll should have the non-runner/no bet concession which in effect is the same as taking odds with the caveat that the horse must run for bets to stand. However, the 10-year-old’s absence from the Grand National betting suggests the bookies are taking the view he will be retired.
All seemed well with Tiger Roll before the cross country race at the Cheltenham November meeting. However some sluggish jumping for his new jockey Robbie Power, and no enthusiasm, saw the gelding pulled up a long way from home and he now faces an uncertain future.
The owners have pretended not to be obsessed about winning another National and have always said the weight allocation will be key. However in reality that was their attempt to intimidate the handicapper into allotting a lower mark than he should and they were making threats that otherwise Aintree’s ‘star attraction’ would not run. His handicap mark now seems irrelevant. It is likely they might take the view Tiger Roll owes them nothing so he could have run his last race.
French raider Easysland was fourth in the Cheltenham contest. On the face of it, that also looked like a disappointing run, and he really didn’t jump well. However, it was a handicap and Easysland was giving lots of weight to all the other runners except Tiger Roll.
The next main objective is the cross country race at the Cheltenham Festival, which is a conditions race, so that is a positive. It is a race Easyslands won last season. Tiger Roll landed it and the Grand National in 2018 and 2019 so there have been precedents for the double. At the time of writing, Easysland is 33/1 with the top bookmakers for the Grand National.
Potters Corner is the same price for the Aintree marathon but running in the Festival cross country chase is also on the agenda. It’s a good prep-race for the National and Potters Corner has the profile to be a contender. There is no substitute for experience of the course and unique fences. However, Potters Corner ticked many boxes. He has displayed the required stamina and jumping ability.
Vinndication and Presenting Percy enter the picture after promising runs in decent races and Milan Native is one of the less fancied possible winners with good credentials.