John O’Riordan
The Irish Field
Anibale Fly will need the return to Aintree to reignite the fires but could be just to type to run well at a big price. Twice placed in the Gold Cup, he has finished fourth and fifth in previous runnings of this race off much higher marks.
Dan Carlin
The Irish Field
I have followed the career of Definitly Red since he ran at Loughanmore point-to-point in April 2013. I was working as a bookie and the horse was 7/4 favourite. The Good Lord was smiling on the layers that day as the normally excellent Noel McParlan rode a finish on Definitly Red to the wrong winning post before pulling up.
You’d have to forgive the horse a poor run in the 2017 National. He looked back to himself last time out at Kelso and is each-way value. If it were to come up soft you could raise your stake.
Mark Boylan
Racing Post
The 2020 Kim Muir hero Milan Native has seemingly had his year geared towards a tilt at the Liverpool highlight and he looks overpriced at 33/1, carrying just 1lb more than Cloth Cap. He should improve a bundle from his first start after a wind operation and represents owners seeking a fourth Grand National triumph from the last five runnings.
Anne Marie Duff
The Irish Field
Cloth Cap is thrown in at the weights but is a terribly short price when he still has 30 fences to negotiate. J.P. McManus holds a very strong hand in this year’s National and Kimberlite Candy ticks a lot of boxes and could give Richie McLernon compensation for his narrowest of loses in 2012. He has course form and may see it out better than Any Second Now.
Mark Nunan
Press Association
Takingrisks has won three valuable staying chases at generous odds in the last two years, including the Scottish National over four miles on good ground in 2019. The 12-year-old defeated solid handicap yardstick Aye Right at Doncaster in January and, off a nice racing weight, looks to have a sporting each-way chance under regular partner Sean Quinlan.
Michael Graham
Press Association
Tony Martin’s stout stayer Anibale Fly will enjoy the trip and ground, and merits each-way support at a price. He was fourth in the race in 2018 and fifth off top weight in 2019. The handicapper has given him a chance so he should be coming home stronger than most.
Peter O’Hehir
Irish Mirror
Cloth Cap is a very worthy favourite and a far from original choice. A change to positive tactics has worked wonders for Jonjo O’Neill’s charge this season.
Convincing winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy (off a mark of 136) back in November, he was equally impressive off 148 when brushing aside his rivals in the Premier Chase in Kelso. Significantly ‘well-in’ for the big race, he looks an ideal type for the demands of Aintree, where jumping, a high cruising speed and stamina are key. Barring accidents, he’ll be very tough to beat.
Leo Powell
The Irish Field
Trevor Hemmings’ Hedgehunter in 2005, Comply Or Die (2008) and Tiger Roll (2019) are the only winners of the Randox Grand National in the last two decades to have started at less than 10/1.
Even though the statistics are not in his favour, Cloth Cap has all the credentials necessary, and should give Hemmings a well-deserved win, his fourth, and set a remarkable record. It would be four wins with four Irish-breds, for four different jockeys and trainers.
Thomas Weekes
Press Association
Any Second Now is a classy type who has an ideal racing weight at 10st 9lb. He has already won a Kim Muir Chase, stays well and also managed a Grade 2 win over two miles at Navan, scoring by 10 lengths, in March. His trainer famously won a National with Papillon in 2000.
Daragh Ó Conchúir
The Irish Field
Burrows Saint went into more notebooks for this race despite being beaten by Acapella Bourgeois by four and a half lengths in the Bobbyjo, in receipt of 6lb.
Acapella Bourgeois is 7lb better off now and he was just over seven lengths behind when Burrows Saint won the Irish Grand National in 2019, again giving the winner 6lb. He is the value bet, given his consistency and versatility.
Declan O’Donoghue
Sunday World
Milan Native seemed to have lost the plot a bit after winning the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last year, but a breathing operation has recharged the battery. A midfield finish in the Ultima Chase at Cheltenham should leave him nicely primed now and he looks a lively outsider.
Mark Costello
The Irish Field
This is one of the few big staying chases to have eluded trainer Colin Tizzard and this is his last chance to put the record straight before he hands over the licence to his son, Joe. Their Mister Malarky was a high-class novice chaser in 2019 but lost his way last year.
Following a wind operation he seemed to surprise connections with his third place finish in a valuable three-mile handicap chase in February. Good ground, a flat track and an extreme distance look ideal conditions for this grandson of Dubacilla, who herself finished second in the Gold Cup and fourth in the Grand National of 1995.
Brian Flanagan
The Irish Star
The 11-year-old Anibale Fly is not getting any younger but looks very well handicapped on his best form and has finished in the frame twice here before off much bigger weights. He arrives at Aintree very fresh having just had one run in 13 months and there’s surely another big run in him.
He has that much needed touch of class having also placed in two Gold Cups and off a mark of just 148 he’s too tempting to ignore for Tony Martin and J.P. McManus.
Michael Verney
Irish Independent
Recent form is hardly appetising, but course form certainly appeals with Anibale Fly making the frame in the last two renewals (fourth in 2018 and fifth a year later). Tony Martin’s 11-year-old is 9lb lower for this year’s renewal and there is massive value at fancy prices, considering his love for the Aintree showpiece.
Olivia Hamilton
The Irish Field
Ain’t no mountain high enough for Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead. Minella Times comes into the race after two good seconds at Leopardstown over three miles and two miles five and a half furlongs. He has no problem jumping and should not be burdened by 10st 3lb.
Vincent Finegan
irishracing.com
Tony Martin’s Grand National veteran Anibale Fly looks a value each-way bet at odds of 25/1. He has finished fourth and fifth in the last two renewals and will be partnered by the very capable Denis O’Regan this time around.