Tipping Tim’s Weekend Bets

The men and horses who entered sporting folklore by winning the Grand National during the twentieth century must be wondering why they bothered.  They could have waited a couple of decades and achieved the same accolade, and won more money, by winning a similarly-named race over bushy hurdles in 2014.  I’m holding tight until global warming completely destroys the polar ice caps, and then I’m going to stroll to the South Pole in my board shorts and stick a flag with my name on it next to Ernest Shackleton’s.  By then the Grand National will be a flat race so I might try to knock that off on the way home too, assuming the ground isn’t too firm.

The mock fences seem to have fooled the masses and kept them interested because I have received the usual number of texts asking for the National winner, and my reply this year is Rocky Creek (to all those who received Kruzhlinin, please text someone else from now on).  Back in the day this beast would have been short on experience for such a test, but with the way the race is now that shouldn’t be a huge issue and he has the class to go close off a mark of 156.  Noel Fehily is as good a rider as any in the race, and no one deserves a big winner more than him.

For the next best tomorrow I am going to return to my favoured stomping ground of Lingfield and side with Glorious Protector in the 3.00.  Brass Ring is sure to be very short here but, whilst he will take plenty of stopping, he looks like a galloper and if he is going to get beaten anywhere it might just be here.  Glorious Protector was knocking on the door in good handicaps last season, including on the Polytrack, and he looks the sort to improve further following his recent gelding operation.

For the Trixie I am going to take a chance on Piscean in the 4.45 Lingfield.  He’s old enough to run in the Grand National (and would probably get round over these fences) but he showed he retains a bit of spark with a decent run at Kempton behind Upavon, and he can be readily forgiven last week’s lapse because he was totally out of his depth (even though I backed him).  This should be more his cup of tea and, if hot-pot Purcell gets into a bit of trouble, Piscean could steam through to pick up the pieces.

Good luck with all your bets on Grand National day!

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