Millions poured into Aintree Racecourse Saturday to watch Tiger Roll try for his third straight Grand National … the Virtual Grand National that is. While the real Grand National had to be canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, more than 4.8 million viewers tuned into (from the couch, not the course) the virtual edition on ITV Saturday afternoon.
Though he wasn’t qualified for the real Grand National, that didn’t stop Welsh-trained Potter’s Corner from securing the race at odds of 16-1. That victory was likely made easier by a mistake by the leading Aso at the second last resulting in the leader falling when several lengths ahead.
After finishing fourth in last year’s Grand National, Walk In The Mill went two better this year to finish second. A different horse over this course, Walk In The Mill’s last trip around Aintree saw him become the first back-to-back winner of the Becher Chase in December over the National course. Last out Grade 3 winner Any Second Now rounded out the top three in his first “run” around Aintree.
While Tiger Roll was a gallant fourth in his bid to win three, it could be argued that the gelding was asked to do too much Saturday. The gelding was declared for both the National and Champion of Champions race on the card with only a few minutes to cool out between races.
Ridden much too prominently by Davy Russell in the Grand National and blundering at the last, it was no surprise that two runs over the Grand National course in less than an hour proved too taxing for the gallant gelding. However, connections have said all going well Tiger Roll will be given another run at the Grand National next year.
Possibly the most surprising part of this year’s Grand National was that all were sent off by the starter the first time. In the year of “standing starts,” bookmakers were rumored to have the standing start at even-money, leading to speculation that they had an inside line with the starter.
The most controversial part of the race was course officials announcing that there will be new rules in place about schooling over the jumps for next year. The new qualification rule came immediately after seven horses refused throughout the course.
“It is absolutely inexcusable to have so many horses refuse in the Grand National,” one unnamed official said after the race. “We give trainers plenty of opportunity to school in the months leading up to the race. Next year schooling at least 20 times over National fences will be a requirement to run.”
Overall it was a sunny day at Aintree with everyone heading back to their stable unharmed after an entertaining run around the course.
While the race itself was fake, the money bet by viewers was not and bookmakers donated profits from losing bets to charity. Initial reports Sunday showed that more than £2.6 million will be donated to NHS Charities Together from the race.
Sire of the Week: Munnings’ title after Saturday should almost certainly be “King of Oaklawn” with the stallion’s runners taking three of the card’s 10 races, including the only American stakes run over the weekend.
Munnings’s domination kicked off with Grab The Munny winning the fourth race by a length. One race later, Munnings’ Lucky Betty turned heads when she broke her maiden by 3 1/4 lengths for trainer William VanMeter and owner Dennis Park.
Munnings’ dual stakes winning Kimari ended the day with headlines for her sire. Making her 3-year-old debut, Kimari had been aimed for a Keeneland race before the spring meeting was cancelled and Wesley Ward switched to the Purple Martin Stakes. Dropping a few lengths off the leader near the back of the field, Kimari boded her time before going wide on the turn to close on the leaders.
Kimari showed the strong kick that had made her successful on turf to catch the leaders in the final sixteenth and won by 1 3/4 lengths for Wesley Ward.
“I was really, really super confident going into this race,” Ward said. “I’m kind of a positive guy, anyways, but after seeing those two works (in March at Gulfstream Park West), I knew it would take a really, really tough filly to beat her. Take nothing away from the others in there, but I was really confident.
“The owner (David Mowat’s Ten Broeck Farm) and Ben McElroy, who bought her and manages her, they were a little apprehensive when we drew the 1-hole because she always gets away just a little slow. I kind of laid it all out there and assured them, ‘Don’t worry about anything.’ I was a little nervous that I might have stuck my foot in my mouth but thank God I didn’t.”
Much like at Oaklawn Saturday, Munnings’ 3-year-old fillies have dominated on the track this year. The stallion has three leading Kentucky Oaks contenders and Grade 2 winners – Finite, Bonny South and Venetian Harbor – in addition to four other stakes winners.
Horse to Watch: Dropping down from stakes level for the first time in five starts, Halladay proved too good for an optional-claiming event Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Taking the lead early and cruising home with Luis Saez just giving him a few reminders in the stretch, the gelding won by 3 lengths for his first victory of the year.
Already fairly proven with four wins including a stakes victory in last year’s Tropical Park Derby, Halladay has only been tested at graded stakes level once in his career with a fourth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes last out. Trainer Todd Pletcher obviously has faith in the gelding’s ability, and it won’t be a surprise if we see him show up in more graded stakes in coming months.
Quote of the Week: “I don’t know what I’m going to do because all the restaurants are shut. We normally stop at the Doncaster and get beers so I don’t think we can do that either. She’s going to get pizza tonight. She eats supreme pizza with capsicum sauce.” – Wendy Roche to 7New.com.au.
You’d be excused if you thought Australian trainer Wendy Roche was talking about a jockey or some other human on her team, but you’d be wrong. She was talking about Nettoyer, the improbable winner of the Group 1 Doncaster in Sydney Saturday. Giving both Roche and jockey James Innes Junior their first Group 1 successes, Nettoyer is a notoriously hardheaded mare and sent her groom to the doctor to get stitches earlier in the week after biting him on the head.
All of that is likely forgiven now that the mare has added a Group 1 to her resume. After Roche’s quip about Nettoyer’s evening meal, it won’t be a surprise if fans and successful punters send the mare all the beer and pizza she could want in coming weeks.
