The 2021 Randox Grand National: What the beaten jockeys and trainers said
Sat 10 Apr 2021
From hard-luck stories to great spins that were cut short, read what the beaten riders had to say after the Aintree spectacular on Saturday.
Aidan Coleman, Balko Des Flos (2nd)
“I couldn’t be happier with him. He was super. He jumped brilliantly and travelled into it really well. He did everything right but just didn’t win. All credit to him.”
Mark Walsh, Any Second Now (3rd)
“He was very unlucky, he very nearly got brought down at the third last and he’s done great to finish third.”
Classiest Grand National field of all time ready for a fast and furious show
By Andy Stephens@StevoGG
Fri 9 Apr 2021
Forty horses. Forty jockeys. Thirty fences dressed in spruce. The Randox Grand National is always one of the great spectacles of the sporting year and the world’s most famous race will be watched by an estimated a global audience of 600 million on Saturday.
Casual viewers turning in for their once-a-year fix might not notice, but modifications mean the showpiece is not the contest it once was.
The fences are less fearsome than in days of old and the race distance has been shortened, with the one-time long run to the first fence no more. Only three horeses fell in the latest renewal, which must constitute a record and suggests the tinkering has brought benefits.
Grand National 2021: Pinstickers guide to Aintree runners & riders bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fancy an outsider? Our experts give their best Grand National longshots
Mon Mome won the 2009 Grand National at odds of 100-1. Which runners might cause a shock on Saturday? 1 of 1 UPDATED 12:29PM, APR 7 2021
Freewheelin Dylan defied odds of 150-1 to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National on Monday and the Randox Grand National at Aintree is no stranger to some big-priced horses winning or hitting the frame. With that in mind, three Racing Post experts picked out a longshot to consider for Saturday s famous race. He could be crying out for some good ground
There is no doubt that Cloth Cap and Burrows Saint set the standard in this year s Grand National, but siding with the two market leaders shows little imagination. The Grand National often produces a shock result and it might be wise to look for something at a bigger price.
Mullins to give Townend every chance to prove his fitness in time for Aintree | Horse Racing News racingpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from racingpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.