Grand National steamers: five horses who could shorten before the big race

As anticipation for the 2022 Randox Grand National intensifies, plenty of horses will begin attracting support which could see their odds shorten dramatically before they get under way at 5.15pm on Saturday. We pick out five who could plunge in price . . .

5.15 Aintree Saturday: Randox Grand National racecard and betting

Minella Times

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
Current price: 9-1 (was 14s)

Although things haven't quite gone to plan so far this season for last year's winner, a return to Aintree could spark the JP McManus-owned nine-year-old back into the sort of form which saw him scamper clear of stablemate Balko Des Flos in the 2021 Grand National.

Minella Times has failed to complete on his two starts since and will have to carry 20lb more this year, which makes him somewhat less appealing than when a well-backed winner on his one and only trip to Britain to date.

Rachael Blackmore: could have the support of the casual puntersCredit: Edward Whitaker

However, with the Grand National being the one race of the year that families and the British public like to have a bet on, these casual punters may latch on to the Rachael Blackmore factor, who last year created history by becoming the first female rider to win the National.

Blackmore fever was in full flow coming into the race a year ago after her leading jockey exploits at the Cheltenham Festival and having created further history a few weeks ago by winning the Gold Cup on A Plus Tard, the narrative of the returning heroes could see the price of Minella Times plummet on raceday from 16-1.

Burrows Saint

Trainer: Willie Mullins
Current price: 25-1

Willie Mullins won the National in 2005 with Hedgehunter and has been knocking on the door in recent years with the likes of Pleasant Company, who narrowly lost out to Tiger Roll in 2018 and Rathvinden, who finished third in 2019.

Burrows Saint continued the solid recent form of Ireland's champion trainer in the race by finishing fourth last year and looks to be the Mullins first string here.

Although Rich Ricci's former Irish National winner has plenty to find with market leaders Any Second Now and Escaria Ten, it is difficult to envisage Burrows Saint being able to go off at 20-1 on the day, especially after the Closutton maestro's majestic Cheltenham Festival, which featured an unprecedented ten winners.

2022 Grand National at Aintree: the runners, the odds, the verdict

Two For Gold

Trainer: Kim Bailey
Current price: 40-1 (was 50s)

Some 32 years on from Mr Frisk's course-record winning effort, Kim Bailey could add another National to his name with the ultra-consistent Two For Gold.

The nine-year-old has already had a stellar season, having landed the inaugural running of the valuable Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield before chasing home Fakir D'Oudairies in Grade 1 company at Ascot last time out.

Two For Gold: has been in superb form over shorter trips this seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Although he would be stepping up drastically in trip, the National is not as testing as it once was and Two For Gold has always shown a very game attitude, which should serve him well.

Bailey demonstrated he could prepare a horse for a modern-day National when The Last Samuri found only Rule The World too good in 2016 and 50-1 looks chunkier than he will be should he line up on the day.

De Rasher Counter

Trainer: Emma Lavelle
Current price: 50-1

De Rasher Counter has been seen only four times since winning the Ladbrokes Trophy in 2019 and Emma Lavelle's ten-year-old, who has relatively low mileage, looks to have been forgotten by punters.

Backers have plunged on Lavelle's other representative, Eclair Surf, who still faces an anxious wait on his participation after moving up to 43rd on the list after Monday's confirmations, with the Classic Chase winner now 14-1 having been generally available at 33s before the weekend.

However, there could be another gamble when people scrutinise De Rasher Counter's form. Although he was pulled up in a Midlands National two years ago, that was off an 8lb higher mark than the 149 rating he runs off now, which is the same mark as his big-race success at Newbury.

Having blown away the cobwebs in a Grade 2 at the same track last time out, in what was a first run for 489 days, De Rasher Counter could offer Aintree value.

Blaklion

Trainer: Dan Skelton
Current price: 66-1

Blaklion: veteran looks overpriced at 66-1Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The evergreen Blaklion ran a huge race to finish a 50-1 sixth in last year's National and has sneaked in at the bottom of the weights. The 13-year-old has demonstrated his appetite for the game still remains with two impressive victories at Haydock this season.

The veteran can be forgiven for being pulled up by Harry Skelton when trying to complete the course hat-trick in the trial for this race last time out, with Skelton perhaps looking after the horse in what was, even by Haydock's standards, truly awful ground.

Back on better ground, over a course which he loves, having won the Becher Chase in 2017 and completed on all bar one of his four starts over the iconic spruce-covered fences (and even then that was when being brought down in the 2018 Grand National), Blaklion could shorten through the week with some sentimental each-way bets.

Racing Post tipsters predict the first four home in the Grand National

2022 Grand National festival offers

• Join Paddy Power and back one horse and get another one free – plus they are paying six places on the Grand National. Sign up here.
• Sky Bet are paying an industry-leading seven places on the Grand National. Anyone with an account can claim these, but sign up here if you don't have an account.
• New Betfair customers can get a free bet when they sign up and also get six places on the Grand National. Sign up for a new account here.
• Ladbrokes are going six places on the Grand National. Sign up for a new account here.
• Coral are paying six places on the Grand National. Not got an account? Sign up here to benefit from the extra places here.
• bet365 have a new customer offer available when you sign up to a new account. You can also claim six places on the Grand National. Get started here.
• New William Hill customers can claim a free bet for Sunday if they bet on Saturday and also get six places on the Grand National here.
• 888 Sport have free bets for all new customers. Sign up here. New and existing customers can get six places on the Grand National.
• If you're a new customer, Tote will give you a free bet. Sign up here to claim and bet on the Grand National.

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