Tiger Roll Shows “Special” Grand National Credentials 

The chances that Tiger Roll could emulate the legendary Red Rum by winning back-to-back Aintree Grand Nationals seem to have risen, as the 9-year-old was outstanding in his most recent outing in Navan, Ireland. 

Red Rum famously completed the hat-trick in 1973, 1974 and 1977, but few horses have come even close to retaining the title since. Tiger Roll, who ran a scintillating race to win last year’s National, has been long talked about as a horse who could perhaps become a multiple winner of the event. 

He has been the ante-post favourite for the Grand National (6^th April) since the race finished in 2018, but his odds have been slashed after the victory in the Boyne Hurdle. The current best odds for Tiger Roll sit at 12/1 with Bet365 and Betfair. That’s down from a high of around 25/1 just a few weeks.

That’s down from a high of around 25/1 just a few weeks. 

Boyne Hurdle win was unexpected

The reason for all the excitement is that Tiger Roll was not really ‘supposed’ to win the Boyne Hurdle. It’s not really his type of race, running over hurdles and a shorter distance than his usual events. However, the fact he trounced some very good competition really just underlined what a special talent he is, as well as putting smiles on the face of punters who had backed his 25/1 odds.

There is, of course, no shortage of competition for Tiger Roll when he takes on the Aintree fences on 6^th April: The sturdy Elegant Escape can be found at 20/1 with Coral and William Hill; Vintage Clouds is another big hope, coming in at 25/1 with Paddy Power and a host of other bookmakers; and Anibale Fly also looks a Grand National horse, with odds of 25/1 from 888sport. All those bookies are listed in this guide to Grand National 2019 Free Bets, certainly worth looking at in a race that is notoriously difficult to predict.
 
There is, of course, no shortage of competition for Tiger Roll when he takes on the Aintree fences on 6th April: The sturdy Elegant Escape can be found at 20/1 with Coral and William Hill; Vintage Clouds is another big hope, coming in at 25/1 with Paddy Power and a host of other bookmakers; and Anibale Fly also looks a Grand National horse, with odds of 25/1 from 888sport. All those bookies are listed in this guide to Grand National 2019 Free Bets, certainly worth looking at in a race that is notoriously difficult to predict. 

Tiger Roll will enter Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham 

As for Tiger Roll, he has some unfinished business before he tackles his date with history at Aintree. He will enter the Cross Country Chase on Wednesday 13^th March at the Cheltenham Festival. The fact he is given best odds of just 5/4 is an incredible vote of confidence in Tiger Roll’s credentials. The Cross Country Chase, like the Grand National, is a tough race and difficult to call, so challengers like Auvergnat (11/2, Betfair), Josies Orders (8/1, William Hill) and the highly-rated Ucello Conti (10/1, William Hill) could have a say.  

Even if Tiger Roll does not win the Grand National, he has had a remarkable career so far. The highlights include three Cheltenham Festival victories: 2014 JCB Triumph Hurdle, 2017 National Hunt Chase and the 2018 Glenfarclas Chase. Already, that is enough to put him in company with all time greats at the Festival. To be fair, Tiger Roll is a little bit erratic in terms of results, but that is more common when horses taking on fences in gruelling three-to-four-mile contests. There is a more of a chance of running out of stamina, or just getting unlucky.

 
In the end, Tiger Roll has that ability that all trainers and jockeys want to see in a horse – the knack of turning it on when it really matters. We saw that in his win at Cheltenham down the years, and his Grand National victory last year. He is still young enough to keep this brilliant run going, perhaps going down as a history maker.