Tiger Roll’s tenure at Grand National champion was ended in 2021 by Minella Times. The two-time champion was pulled out of the race by his owners Gigginstown House Stud, who placed him instead in the Betway Bowl Chase, where he mostly underperformed.
Minella Times filled the void left by Tiger Roll in the National and played its part in history as jockey Rachael Blackmore became the first female rider to win the event. Henry De Bromhead and his team will now be aiming to etch their place in the history of the race by attempting to match the feat of Tiger Roll and Gordon Elliott.
De Bromhead’s charge is backed as the leading contender for the National in the horse racing odds at 16/1. Decisions regarding National runners as one of the most interesting topics in the Paddy Power horse racing news section, and it will certainly be worth monitoring the availability of Minella Times considering the stunning revelation in 2021 about Tiger Roll.
He was the first horse since Red Rum in 1973 to win back-to-back Nationals, triumphing in the 2018 and 2019 races. He was denied the chance to compete in 2020 and then the decision not to race him in 2021 was met with incredulity in the racing community, especially after a brilliant performance at Cheltenham Festival to win the Cross Country Chase. However, Gigginstown House Stud were clear in their statement that he would not race in the National due to a disagreement regarding his handicap, opting for the Betway Bowl Chase at Aintree Festival, where Tiger Roll was well off the pace behind Clan Des Obeaux.
Minella Times was excellent for De Bromhead in the National and he certainly has the quality to press for a place in history to join the elite company of Tiger Roll and Red Rum. He was one of the top runners for the crown, but where other leading contenders such as Cloth Cap and Any Second Now failed, the eight-year-old was on his mark and cruised over the line to win by six-and-a-half lengths.
De Bromhead will now have to be careful with his charge to maintain his sharpness, but also fitness on the track. It was a skill that Elliott mastered with Tiger Roll, sending the Irish thoroughbred into the field sparingly in the early stages of the National Hunt season before ramping up his preparation for Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National. The Irishman did well last term to gear up his charge slowly before the main event, although Minella Times finished second in the Paddy Power Chase and Leopardstown Handicap Chase.
There could be a temptation to put Minella Times into action for the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham before the National. It worked perfectly for Tiger Roll in his two runs to glory in both events and could be the way forward for De Bromhead’s charge.
It took 44 years for a horse to match the accomplishment of Red Rum in winning successive Nationals, but this time the wait could be a short one given the quality of the competitor and trainer at hand for the 2022 event at Aintree.
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