Home > Horse Racing > Tiger Roll suffers National blow after weights rise by 4lb following withdrawal of Bristol de Mai

Tiger Roll suffers National blow after weights rise by 4lb following withdrawal of Bristol de Mai


Tiger Roll suffers Grand National blow after weights rise by 4lb following withdrawal of Bristol de Mai

  • Tiger Roll will now carry 11st 5lb in the four and a quarter mile marathon
  • The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained grey shouldered 10st 13lb in race last year
  • Seeking to be first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since Red Rum 

The prospect of Tiger Roll becoming the first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since Red Rum 45 years ago became a little tougher with the news that the weights for the race will rise 4lb following the withdrawal of original top weight Bristol de Mai.

The decision to run the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Cheltenham Gold Cup third in the Betway Bowl on the opening day of the meeting rather than the National means Anibale Fly, the Gold Cup runner-up, takes over as top weight.

Anibale Fly’s weight moves from 11st 6lb to 11st 10lb and the 4lb rise means diminutive Tiger Roll will now carry 11st 5lb in the four and a quarter mile marathon. However, his place as red-hot 7-2 favourite remains unmoved.

Tiger Roll is seeking to become first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since Red Rum

Tiger Roll is seeking to become first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since Red Rum

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: ‘Despite the rise in the weight, Tiger Roll is only carrying 6lb more than he did last year when he shouldered 10st 13lb to victory so it’s not a worry for us.

‘We can’t see his odds easing anytime soon and we continue to be fearful of him. As it stands he will be the worst result for us the Grand National history.’

Tiger Roll won his fourth Cheltenham Festival race this month when romping to a second successive victory in the Cross Country Chase.

 

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