Handicapper keen to see Tiger Roll at Fairyhouse despite 'difficult' weight call

Senior Irish jumps handicapper Andrew 'Sandy' Shaw says he would love to see Cheltenham and Grand National legend Tiger Roll bid for BoyleSports Irish Grand National glory next month, but admitted the task of allocating a rating to the pint-sized hero was not a straightforward one.

The 11-year-old blew away his rivals by 18 lengths in last week's Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the festival but had already been ruled out of a historic Randox Grand National tilt at Aintree over what owners Gigginstown House Stud described as an "unfair weight burden".

Instead, the €400,000 Fairyhouse prize on April 5, which will be shown live on ITV4, or the Grade 1 Betway Bowl at Aintree three days later are under consideration.

Andrew 'Sandy' Shaw: hard task allocating a weight to Tiger RollCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

An Irish mark of 163 – 1lb lower than topweight The Storyteller and 3lb lower than his mark would have been at Aintree – puts the five-time Cheltenham Festival winner on a weight of 11st 9lb for the Easter Monday highlight.

"It's a possibility but it's more of a probability that he'll go to Aintree for the Betway Bowl," said Gigginstown's Eddie O'Leary of a potential Fairyhouse appearance. "It's a pretty short turnaround so I'm not saying he's going to run but it's a possibility."

Asked how hard it was to allocate a weight for Tiger Roll in this year's Irish Grand National, Shaw, speaking on Monday as the Irish National weights were revealed, explained: "It was difficult. It's been mentioned by Mr O'Leary that the horse is probably not as good as the better horses – the Al Boum Photos and Minella Indos and so forth – and that he should be getting a lot more weight from them. I can understand where he's coming from.

"What makes it more difficult with Tiger Roll for us is that he hasn't run in a [standard] chase since 2017 and we've had to work off cross-country races, which we over here don't take as literally as they probably do over in Britain."

'We don't really know how good he is'

Shaw added: "He won his last Grand National off 159 so is only 4lb higher here. That's a fair drop from the 171, which he was after winning at Aintree. It was difficult and even for [BHA handicapper] Martin Greenwood to drop the horse, because he hasn't run in a race against Grade 1 horses. We don't really know how good he is."

Shaw believes last week's performance appeared as good as Tiger Roll has ever produced in the festival cross-country event, but he feels the task of facing unexposed novices at Fairyhouse could prove demanding.

"We find over here that we don't take as much notice of cross-country racing in the sense that we've never put up a horse winning or running in a cross-country race," he said.

Tiger Roll: will not run in this year's Randox Grand National at AintreeCredit: Edward Whitaker

"What will make it difficult for the likes of Tiger Roll, I think, is the progressive, young novices coming along. You don't get those novices in the Grand National at Aintree because they're not asked to take on that particular race at that age. They're different races and we'll find out but I'd love to see him run."

Leon Blanche of the sponsors BoyleSports and Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe unsurprisingly said they would relish seeing the popular veteran, who is priced up at 14-1 to record a famous victory in the Easter highlight.

Longhouse Poet and Latest Exhibition, who bypassed the Cheltenham Festival, share favouritism at 10-1 along with Midlands National scorer Time To Get Up and National Hunt Chase winner Galvin.

The in-form Noel Meade, who won the race in 2002 with The Bunny Boiler, could be represented this time around by Brace Yourself or School Boy Hours if they get in at the foot of the weights.

If you want more on Tiger Roll . . .

Grand National legend Tiger Roll given surprise Aintree option

'What a bloody legend' – Tiger Roll joins elite club with fifth festival win

Tiger Roll: from the Triumph Hurdle to a Cross Country hat-trick

Tiger Roll may skip historic Grand National bid and take in Irish version

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