Rachael Blackmore has been warned she will have to be at her very best if she wants to defend her Grand National title aboard Minella Times, as ITV racing pundits cast doubt on the favourite. Blackmore made history in 2021, as she became the first female jockey to win the National following her triumph on the nine-year-old.
The pair now return one year later looking to become only the second winners to defend their crown, with Tiger Roll and Red Rum the only previous consecutive champions. Following the heroics of last year, Minella Times has been backed into favourite for the big race, however the experts aren’t too sure.
2010 winning jockey AP McCoy told ITV Racing that he believes the extra weight could be an issue for the defending champion: “I think he’s got plenty of weight in terms of he’s gone up 16lbs on top of last year. He is favourite only because of Rachael Blackmore.
“She is pretty good, but she will have to be her very very best I think to win the race.” These worries surrounding the horse were also echoed by another National winner in Ruby Walsh, who added: “His form isn’t even as good.
“He’d come here [last year], having won and been second in Leopardstown Chase. This time he’s coming in after falling in the John Duncan and being pulled up in the Leopardstown Chase. So, form wise he doesn’t look to be coming in the same nick as he was last year.”
Despite the worries over the horse, Blackmore no doubt came into the race in flying form after winning both the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last month. If she was to defend the title at Aintree she would become the first jockey since 1930 to win the two Cheltenham prizes and the Grand National in the same year.
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Speaking about the Irish star’s remarkable recent run, ex-jockey Mick Fitzgerald commented: “It’s been unbelievable. She will tell you it has been an amazing year. The Gold Cup was the one missing from her CV and she managed to put that right this year with A Plus Tard.
“You know all the vibes coming from the Henry DeBromhead camp with Minella Times are that this horse has found his mojo and he is back. It’s amazing, you get horses… we’ve seen it all week here.
“You have horses that have previous at this meeting and have over performed to what they have done all season, they’ll be hoping that is the same with this horse.
