We are now merely days away from the Grand National, and it promises to be a hugely exciting event, not least because it comes after last year’s race played out without spectators (and the previous year didn’t run at all). Earlier this month, the Cheltenham Festival returned with a bang and record attendances, and 2022’s Aintree event is also set to make history.
Snow Leopardess, who is now bobbing along at around 14/1 in the Grand National betting, is set to become the first mother to run the Grand National for upwards of 100 years, and Charlie Longsdon’s horse is a decent outside bet to do well at the showpiece event on the 9th of April.
The 10-year-old grey mare has won all three races that she has started this season and is a much-fancied option for horse racing enthusiasts ahead of the race. Trainer Longsdon is very excited about his horse’s prospects, and his excitement is clearly brewing nicely;
“It is two and a half weeks away now, so it is all a bit nerve-wracking.”
“She doesn’t fit all the stats – not many greys, not many mares, not many mothers (have won the Grand National). I know people have been looking at Weatherbys to find out how many mothers have actually run in the Grand National; we think something might have been done 100 years ago, the last century, but not in recent living memory.”
“She ticks plenty of boxes, although she doesn’t fit all the stats.”
A mare hasn’t won the Grand National since 1951, and only 13 have done so in the history of the race, and that kind of stat is one of the reasons bettors are enticed into backing a horse that is looking to make history on a number of levels.
Longsdon feels that Snow Leopardess is a solid each-way bet;
“We’d like a little bit of juice in the ground and hope she has an each-way chance. It’s a big day for the yard, and we’re very much looking forward to it.”
The current favourite for the race is fluctuating between Any Second Now and Delta Work, with the odds changing on each horse regularly.
JP McManus’s Any Second Now came in third last year and is getting a lot of action among punters, while Delta Work, trained by Gordon Elliot, is coming fresh off a big win at the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and looks a solid option.
On the subject of possible record-breaking antics that Snow Leopardess is looking to rack up, she could also become the first grey to win the Grand National since Neptune Collonges did so in 2012.
It is, however, key to note that reasons to back the Aidan Coleman ride are not just of a romantic nature; there are key factors that make such a bet a solid one, as echoed by tipster Andy Holding;
“Three straight victories for Snow Leopardess allied to her colour will ensure Charlie Longsdon’s grey is bound to be a popular choice, but it’s not just pure sentiment that may see her close to going off favourite come next weekend.”
“Classy enough to finish fourth at Grade 2 level over fences, she’s also proven over the National fences with her victory in the Becher Chase here earlier in the campaign, and her prominent run style suggests that she’s likely to evade early carnage in behind. All in all, she makes plenty of appeal on many fronts.”
Now, that’s more than enough reason to get behind this beauty of a horse next month.
