Tiger Roll, the Grand National winner in 2018 and 2019, has been ruled out of an attempt to equal Red Rum’s record of three Aintree victories in April after the 12-year-old was handed a rating of 161 for this year’s race when the weights were published on Tuesday in Liverpool.
Michael O’Leary, Tiger Roll’s owner, has strongly criticised the weight allotted to his horse in the past two seasons and ran him in a Grade One contest at level weights at the Grand National meeting last year in preference to the big race.
Despite a 5lb drop in the ratings from last year’s mark, O’Leary issued a statement soon after the weights had been published, which again included fierce criticism of Martin Greenwood, the British Horseracing Authority’s senior chase handicapper.
“Tiger Roll is now 12 years old,” the statement said. “He is clearly not as good as he was at eight or nine and yet the UK handicapper now rates him 2lb higher than his 159 rating in April 2019, when he won both the Boyne Hurdle and the Aintree Grand National.
“This rating is absurd and unfair on a 12-year-old chaser. It is a pity that the handicapper won’t give Tiger Roll either a fair rating or a fair weight in the Aintree Grand National, where he could at least try to emulate Red Rum’s three wins.”
The statement added: “Since we are responsible for the welfare of Tiger Roll, we must protect him from the idiotic opinion of this handicapper. We therefore regret to announce that he will not run in the year’s Aintree Grand National.
Sandown Park
1.10 The Grey Falco
1.45 Somekindofstar
2.20 Love Envoi
2.55 Hogan's Height
3.30 Learntalot
4.05 Dr Kananga
4.40 Essential Jaco
Fontwell Park
1.27 Barony Legends
2.02 Pilsdon Pen
2.37 Galtee Mountain
3.12 Chambard
3.47 Hayedo
4.22 Midnight Moss
4.55 Galudon
Leicester
1.35 Radetzky March
2.10 Smuggler's Blues
2.45 Stepney Causeway
3.20 Cut The Mustard
3.55 Zamani
4.30 Drakes Well
Chelmsford City
5.00 Amasova
5.30 Martineo
6.00 Trinity Girl (nap)
6.30 Highfield Princess
7.00 Legende D'Art
7.30 Crazy Spin
8.00 Amalfi Salsa
8.30 Mummy's Boy (nb)
“Instead Tiger Roll will be trained for the cross-country race in Cheltenham [on 16 March] and there is every likelihood that win, lose or draw, this will be his last racecourse appearance. He will then return home for his well-earned retirement for the rest of his days.
“It’s sadly clear from his ratings that this handicapper doesn’t want Tiger Roll to run in this year’s Grand National. He won’t give him a fair chance and sadly the race will be poorer for his absence.”
Greenwood had earlier told a ceremony to mark the publication of the National weights that he had “relented a bit with Tiger Roll” while also pointing out “you can’t just ignore his win in the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham last season, which was less than 12 months ago, when he easily defeated two good horses in Easysland and Some Neck”.
In Tiger Roll’s apparent absence, Minella Times will be the only previous National winner in this year’s field, with Rachael Blackmore hope to repeat her historic victory in front of empty stands last season – but this time with 80,000 spectators in attendance.
“He’s been a little disappointing this season but I know Henry [de Bromhead, his trainer] will get him there in tip-top shape,” Blackmore said on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be unbelievable to have the crowds back,. We had them at the Dublin Racing Festival the other week and I forgot how special it was to have people there. I don’t think last year could have been any better but having crowds back is going to be massive.”
Any Second Now, Snow Leopardess and Escaria Ten head the early market for the Grand National on 16-1, while Minella Times is 25-1 to repeat last year’s success.
