Five Who Can Tame Tiger Roll at the Grand National

The racing and betting community is getting almost feverish about Tiger Roll’s chances of winning the Grand National next weekend. The 2018 winner has seen his odds slashed in the last couple of weeks, after a commanding performance in both the Glenfarclas Chase at Cheltenham and the Boyne Hurdle a month previously.

The best odds for Tiger Roll are now 4/1 with Ladbrokes, with some bookies down at 7/2. With the odds likely to tighten before race day, there is every chance he could become the shortest price winner in 100 years. Indeed, Oddschecker record that Tiger Roll is taking on over 25% of all bets. Incredible figures when there are dozens of horses declared for the race.

However, this is the Grand National, a race where shocks and big-priced winners are not uncommon. There are cases to be made for many other horses outside of Tiger Roll, some of whom offer way more value for your bet. Here’s a look at some decent contenders:

Anibale Fly – 12/1 William Hill

Arguably the horse creating the most buzz after Tiger Roll, Anibale Fly has now placed in two consecutive Gold Cups. A fourth-placed finish in last year’s Grand National, albeit a fair distance behind Tiger Roll, does show that Anibale Fly can handle the tough course and distance. It would be really, really surprising to see this fantastic Tony Martin trained horse finish outside the top 5. Don’t forget, the evergreen Barry Geraghty will likely take the reins.

Vintage Clouds – 16/1 Ladbrokes

Sue Smith has already trained a Grand National winner – the 66/1 shot Auroras Encore in 2013. Vintage Clouds would be much less of a shock, however, and has been taking on plenty of money since a second-place finish at Cheltenham in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Indeed, you can enjoy a free Grand National bet to back any runner you like, but Vintage Clouds seems to strike the perfect balance between price and probability.

Walk In The Mill – 33/1 Bet Victor

The betting cooled around Walk In The Mill after a couple of average performances in novice hurdles in the late winter. However, connections are very upbeat about the horse’s chances in the Grand National. Indeed, punters should look back to Becher Chase in November as more of an indication of Walk In The Mill’s credentials. 33/1 looks much too big for a horse who has beaten many of the horses who will line up next Saturday evening.

Blaklion – 40/1 Betfair

Blaklion has been basically in shoddy form over the last year and a half. However, a number of things make him worth a punt at 40s. For a start, he has a new trainer in Phil Kirby. Secondly, he skipped Cheltenham with a view to being fresh for the National. Third, we know he has the quality and experience to make a good fist of it. Blaklion has raced at Aintree six times in the past, and he has also placed in the Grand National before. A lot of boxes have been ticked, the poor form aside.

Tea For Two – 80/1 Bet365

Fair enough, Tea For Two can frustrate at times, but regular jockey Lizzie Kelly has a lot of faith in her troublesome mount. Tea For Two does have quality in there, as evidenced with that Betway Bowl Chase in 2017, but it doesn’t always come out. 80/1 is simply much too high for a horse capable of anything. Tea For Two could fall, unseat Kelly, finish first or last, and none of it would be a shock.