My 66-1 tip for a Grand National winner of great significance to breeders

Good Morning Bloodstock is Martin Stevens' daily morning email and presented here online as a sample.

This time Martin reflects on the release of the Randox Grand National weights on Tuesday. Subscribers can get more great insight from Martin every Monday to Friday.

All you need do is click on the link above, sign up and then read at your leisure each weekday morning from 7am.

Seeing as the 'pedigree pick' section at the bottom of each Good Morning Bloodstock email regularly enjoys so much success – no sniggering at the back – I thought I’d turn my attention to finding the winner of this year's Randox Grand National.

Having studied the weights for the Aintree spectacular, which were announced on Tuesday, in conjunction with trainer comments and, of course, family histories, I’ve been seduced by the charms of an unheralded outsider.

Gin On Lime is the 66-1 shot I think could go close to becoming the first mare to win the National since Nickel Coin led home only two other finishers in the 1951 edition.

For a long time, any mares on the Grand National racecard were the first to be struck out by punters narrowing down the field to find a winner – understandably, when one hasn't scored for so long – but in recent years they have become a more credible proposition.

Magic Of Light went down all guns blazing when second to Tiger Roll in 2019, while Cabaret Queen and Shattered Love were far from disgraced when ninth and tenth in 2021. Snow Leopardess was sent off at only 10-1 last year, although she was pulled up.

Quick Wave, another mare who came out best of a thrilling battle with Snow Leopardess for the Haydock Grand National Trial on Saturday, has more obvious claims for Aintree but I prefer the younger, less exposed and more handily weighted Gin On Lime.

The seven-year-old, allotted 10st 4lb, was a very smart novice chaser and was even sent off favourite for the Manifesto at last year’s Grand National meeting, eventually finishing fourth to Millers Bank, having jumped well in the lead but getting outpaced.

The classy mare then finished third behind two much better rivals, Easy Game and Melon, in the An Riocht Chase at Killarney, ran second to fellow Robcour colour-bearer Say Goodbye over fences at Limerick, and was a never-dangerous 12th to Hewick in the Galway Plate.

She has been conspicuously absent from the track since finishing fourth in the Kerry National in September, but trainer Henry de Bromhead reported in Tuesday’s Racing Post that she enjoyed being schooled over the cross-country fences at Cheltenham in January to ready her for the Glenfarclas at the Festival, and that Aintree in April is her main objective.

Gin On Lime is by the leading French jumps sire Doctor Dino, who admittedly is better known on these shores for two-mile hurdlers like Sharjah and State Man, but is famed in his native country for having supplied Docteur De Ballon, a dual winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris over 3m6f.

She is an AQPS-bred half-sister to winning French jumpers Eminence Rouge and Fast Rouge out of the unraced Bateau Rouge mare Quiche Lorraine, whose third dam Quintessence produced two Cheltenham Festival heroes in Cyborgo and Hors La Loi. She ought to last the National distance of 4m4f with that stout pedigree.

I’ve no doubt scuppered Gin On Lime’s chances by giving her my seal of approval, but victory for her or Quick Wave in the most famous jump race in the world would be a fine reward for those who strove to make buying and campaigning mares over obstacles more attractive in the past decade or so.

Quick Wave (left): another mighty mare to note at AintreeCredit: GROSSICK RACING 07710461723

It was ten years ago this spring that the introduction of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association National Hunt Fillies’ Bonus Scheme was announced, while 12 months later the British TBA submitted to the Levy Board its proposal for the NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme. MOPS served its purpose as a good incentive for buying jumps fillies until it was merged with the Great British Bonus in 2020.

The same period has seen the racing programme for jumps mares significantly expanded, culminating in black-type races being staged at the big festivals, and nowadays the female of the species is proven to be more deadly than the male on a regular basis throughout the winter.

In turn, National Hunt fillies have soared in value at the sales, and breeders no longer greet the birth of a female foal with dismay – an utterly unsustainable state of affairs on welfare grounds, which those who lazily moan about mares’ races at marquee meetings would do well to remember.

All in all, there could be a lot more riding on Gin On Lime in the Grand National than just my £2.50 each-way.

What do you think?

Share your thoughts with other Good Morning Bloodstock readers by emailing gmb@racingpost.com

Must-read story

“It has been a lot of work from everyone involved and for this time of year, many of the stallions sold very well,” says Oliver St Lawrence as a charity auction of stallion nominations raises significant funds for Ukraine, Turkey and Syria.

Pedigree pick

It might be asking a bit much for Tees George to make an impact on his debut against five placed rivals in the 7f maiden at Newcastle (6.30) on Thursday evening, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

The son of Outstrip, sire of Melbourne Cup victor Gold Trip, is from a family his trainer Adrian Nicholls knows well, as his lightning-quick half-brother Tees Spirit was saddled by the North Yorkshire trainer to win the Epsom Dash and Abergwaun Stakes last year.

Tees George is a half-brother to five other winners including smart mile handicapper Ingleby Angel, prolific dual-purpose scorer Ingleby Hollow and the 80 plus-rated Ingleby Exceed and Thornaby Nash.

Interestingly, Nicholls sent out Ingleby Exceed’s daughter Thornaby Beauty to finish a close second at a big price on her handicap debut at Southwell on Tuesday, albeit at a low level.

Got a friend that will like Good Morning Bloodstock?

Send them the link racingpost.com/goodmorningbloodstock and they can sign themselves up to receive it each weekday morning!

Don’t miss ANZ Bloodstock News

Subscribe for the latest bloodstock news from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

Good Morning Bloodstock is our latest email newsletter. Martin Stevens, a doyen among bloodstock journalists, provides his take and insight on the biggest stories every morning from Monday to Friday