John Smiths Midlands Grand National Betting tips and preview

CLICK HERE FOR 2009 GRAND NATIONAL NEWS AND TIPS Irish-trained horses have made successful raids on the John Smith's Midlands Grand National in four of the last nine runnings and Newbay Prop, who hails from the Tony Martin stable, is bound to be a warm order for this year's renewal at Uttoxeter on Saturday. CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE BET WITH BETFAIR! He heads the market, along with Paul Nicholls' Ladalko and the Venetia Williams-trained Nil Desperandum, winners of the totesport Classic and Eider chases last time out at warwick and Newcastle respectively. The trio in question all merit plenty of respect, but Newbay Prop hasn't achieved enough in my opinion to be as short as he is, while no horse in recent years has carried more than 11st 6lb to victory in this marathon, which gives rise to the stiff task facing the topweights, Ladalko and Nil Desperandum. The one that makes most appeal at a tasty 11/1 with bet365 is Jaunty Times, who ran a corker when third behind smart novices Gungadu and Wee Robbie in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot last time out, and the form of that race is working out extremely well. Gungadu was still forcing the issue when falling two out in the staying race at the Cheltenham Festival, while Wee Robbie was third in the Jewson at the same meeting and According To John, who was fourth in the Reynoldstown, finished a fine third to Denman in the Sun Alliance Chase, also at the Festival during the week. The seven-year-old's jumping technique has improved with every race and the form from virtually every one of his quintet of starts over the larger obstacles reads well. And, furthermore, he is open to a good deal of improvement, especially now that he is upped to this trip. He revels in testing conditions so the soft going will hold no terrors. All in all he must have a cracking chance. Ladalko had developed a propensity to either fall or finish second in his races, so it was highly deserved big-race victory which came his way at Warwick in January when he landed the valuable totesport Classic. Up 8lb for that, the eight-year-old clearly has a lot on his plate what with the weight stats I alluded to earlier. Nil Desperandum has been hit with a 9lb rise following his Eider success, which seems fair give the ease with which he eventually beat Nine De Sivola, running out a 12-length winner. But he will have to carry an extra stone this time and, as in the case of Ladalko, the burden of lead is what I reckon will prove his undoing. Last year's hero G V A Ireland shaped well on his penultimate start but disappointed last time and while it'd be folly to underestimate him, I couldn't be backing Francis Flood's charge in current form, a remark which also applies to another Irish raider, Jaquouille. Nil Desperandum's stablemate The Outlier was a major disappointment when pulled up in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock latest, but if he reproduces his penultimate performance when slamming Turpin Green 12 lengths at that same track, he would be a leading contender. D'Argent has failed to complete the last twice, but if he returned to the form which saw him score on his reappearance at Cheltenham then he would also come to the fore in this event. He certainly shouldn't be written off with the Alan King team enjoying a cracking week at the Cheltenham Festival, underlining the wellbeing of the stable's string. Others to consider include Garryvoe and Keepatem. In fact, very few of the 18-strong field can be discounted entirely, so it's definitely a race for minimum stakes. Jaunty Times is taking on battle-hardened campaigners, but he is in-form, consistent and, therefore, is one of very few that are nigh-on guaranteed to run their race. Verdict - 0.50pts Jaunty Times @ 11/1 (bet365)