2021 Grand National Ante Post Preview PT 1

There’s plenty of attention now shifting towards Aintree as Cheltenham is behind us after a stellar week of jumps racing action. Things are getting interesting in the betting markets as the weights have been assigned for the big money handicap contest and this has resulted in some solid movement for a few of the contenders in the mix here. 

The significant favourite coming in right now appears to be the likes of Cloth Cap, who sits at a markedly lower price than the rest of the other leading fancies with a price hovering around a 5/1 margin with several top bookmakers. A few go as short as 9/2 on him. 

Despite never having attempted the National, or Aintree itself for that matter, Cloth Cap comes into the race with plenty of things in his favour - namely his Grade 3 score at Newbury on his second start of the season. The Jonjo O’Neill-trained chaser has plenty of talent and ability and even his third place finish to Frodon on his seasonal debut at Cheltenham doesn’t look bad in retrospect either, particularly when you reckon that it was used as more of a tune-up for the next contest at Newbury which he subsequently won. 

He then took a listed score at Kelso and looked good doing it and, without a Cheltenham run under his belt, he will be coming into the race fresh and that’s also a bonus. 

We all know that winning the Grand National takes quite a bit of luck during the two circuits around the course but if it’s going to come down to genuine talent then Cloth Cap is a justifiable favourite.