I don't think Ch.4 will be entirely happy with that result. An 11 year old winning off bottom weight at 66/1 is hardly what they were hoping for....a race that will be forgotten very quickly.
Almaty Express is the Ryan Giggs of the racing world
He has just won at Wolverhampton meaning he has scored every year since 2004 !
That is some record
They do but that was just a plain unpopular winner today.....nobody wants to see a 66/1 nag winning the National (apart from the bookies). It's a total anti-climax when it happens and leaves no-one happy.
They do but that was just a plain unpopular winner today.....nobody wants to see a 66/1 nag winning the National (apart from the bookies). It's a total anti-climax when it happens and leaves no-one happy.
People who lost aren't going to think "my horse lost because it was on channel 4"
People who lost aren't going to think "my horse lost because it was on channel 4"
I'm sure Channel 4 would have wanted a big news angle for their debut National : a win for AP or Ruby perhaps, or even better, one for Katie Walsh.
An unheralded 66/1 shot winning in front of almost silent crowd at the finish and a winner that will be quickly forgotten by everyone was not the most auspicious of starts for them.
I'm sure Channel 4 would have wanted a big news angle for their debut National : a win for AP or Ruby perhaps, or even better, one for Katie Walsh.
An unheralded 66/1 shot winning in front of almost silent crowd at the finish and a winner that will be quickly forgotten by everyone was not the most auspicious of starts for them.
The horse's current form was very poor but last Spring it was only beaten a head in the Scottish National so there was a case for concluding that this time of year and marathon distances seem to suit which would be 2 major boxes ticked......I would like to think that if I had taken the time to delve into the form of every runner that Aurora's would have made the short list on value for money grounds given its odds ( 132-1 on the Tote btw) and those two factors alone.
I think that every National winner is good news story...a triumph for a smaller stable,woman trainer,up and coming jockey who has only just comeback having quit,Harvey Smith etc.....all good news.Ruby and AP are superstars who live in the limelight all of the time....its great news when someone else gets their chance of glory.
I hope Aurora's is rewarded with immediate retirement now although the temptation of another Scottish National attempt would be nearly irresistible.
The horse's current form was very poor but last Spring it was only beaten a head in the Scottish National so there was a case for concluding that this time of year and marathon distances seem to suit which would be 2 major boxes ticked......I would like to think that if I had taken the time to delve into the form of every runner that Aurora's would have made the short list on value for money grounds given its odds ( 132-1 on the Tote btw) and those two factors alone.
I think that every National winner is good news story...a triumph for a smaller stable,woman trainer,up and coming jockey who has only just comeback having quit,Harvey Smith etc.....all good news.Ruby and AP are superstars who live in the limelight all of the time....its great news when someone else gets their chance of glory.
I hope Aurora's is rewarded with immediate retirement now although the temptation of another Scottish National attempt would be nearly irresistible.
Interestingly though, he's the lowest ranked winner of the National in the last 20 years (his rating is only 137) so we can officially say he's the worst winner of the race in two decades.
I agree that there some one or two positive human interest angles to the story, but there's no getting away from the fact that an 11 year old nag that virtually nobody backed won the race.
As a racing fan I've got an admission to make.............if someone asks me out of the blue in 9 months time 'who won the grand national'?...........well, I probably won't remember
But I'll remember the Melling Chase earlier on the card with the awesome Sprinter Sacre wiping the floor with his top class opponents on his step up to 20 furlongs
that was the highlight of the 3 day meeting...............
I agree that there some one or two positive human interest angles to the story, but there's no getting away from the fact that an 11 year old nag that virtually nobody backed won the race.
I do get a bit fed up when the once a year media turn up at a race meeting looking for 'human interest stories'............there'll be human interest stories behind every horse in every race every day, but no one gives a damn
I'd hate to see the National go down the X Factor route where every jockey has to appear before the cameras to tell us of their dying grannies and how they bravely overcame an attack of the hiccoughs................
Distressing news from Hexham with yesterday's winning jockey , Ryan Mania, being airlifted to hospital after a heavy fall in the 3.10 where he was also kicked by another horse as he hit the ground
They do but that was just a plain unpopular winner today.....nobody wants to see a 66/1 nag winning the National (apart from the bookies). It's a total anti-climax when it happens and leaves no-one happy.
OK - no knowing much about racing I don't really understand that. I thought the winning horse was a total cracker and could have kept going for God knows how much longer - everything else in the field was knackered. It must surely have been amazing to watch such a trilling performance?
And I always think when the favourite wins it's so bloody boring - nothing unexpected happens.
Well done the winner!
Distressing news from Hexham with yesterday's winning jockey , Ryan Mania, being airlifted to hospital after a heavy fall in the 3.10 where he was also kicked by another horse as he hit the ground
Saw the news on Clare Balding tweet. Then she said " The Horse is ok" A bit of sarcasm there.
Saw the news on Clare Balding tweet. Then she said " The Horse is ok" A bit of sarcasm there.
Doubt very much that she was being sarcastic....the fate of horses is usually always reported when there are falls and rightly so......Ryan Mania is reported as being' conscious and talking and able to move his limbs'.
A half-brother of Black Caviar was sold for a record $5 million in today's yearling sales in Sydney. The previous highest price for a yearling in Australia was $3 million. Black Caviar herself races in Sydney on Saturday (weather permitting). I'll post details when I get them in the next day or so.
Comments
They just want viewers
Fences in wrong order, captions all over the place and never finished showing what had happened to all the horses at the end!
He has just won at Wolverhampton meaning he has scored every year since 2004 !
That is some record
i just don't see how it was backable. tough for anyone laying it!
They do but that was just a plain unpopular winner today.....nobody wants to see a 66/1 nag winning the National (apart from the bookies). It's a total anti-climax when it happens and leaves no-one happy.
People who lost aren't going to think "my horse lost because it was on channel 4"
I'm sure Channel 4 would have wanted a big news angle for their debut National : a win for AP or Ruby perhaps, or even better, one for Katie Walsh.
An unheralded 66/1 shot winning in front of almost silent crowd at the finish and a winner that will be quickly forgotten by everyone was not the most auspicious of starts for them.
The horse's current form was very poor but last Spring it was only beaten a head in the Scottish National so there was a case for concluding that this time of year and marathon distances seem to suit which would be 2 major boxes ticked......I would like to think that if I had taken the time to delve into the form of every runner that Aurora's would have made the short list on value for money grounds given its odds ( 132-1 on the Tote btw) and those two factors alone.
I think that every National winner is good news story...a triumph for a smaller stable,woman trainer,up and coming jockey who has only just comeback having quit,Harvey Smith etc.....all good news.Ruby and AP are superstars who live in the limelight all of the time....its great news when someone else gets their chance of glory.
I hope Aurora's is rewarded with immediate retirement now although the temptation of another Scottish National attempt would be nearly irresistible.
2.82m (27.2%)
* peak (excluding +1): 8.74m (60.2%) at 16:20.
* peak (including +1): 8.88m (61.1%)
Spectacular ratings for the GN even after the move to C4.
Interestingly though, he's the lowest ranked winner of the National in the last 20 years (his rating is only 137) so we can officially say he's the worst winner of the race in two decades.
I agree that there some one or two positive human interest angles to the story, but there's no getting away from the fact that an 11 year old nag that virtually nobody backed won the race.
But I'll remember the Melling Chase earlier on the card with the awesome Sprinter Sacre wiping the floor with his top class opponents on his step up to 20 furlongs
that was the highlight of the 3 day meeting...............
I do get a bit fed up when the once a year media turn up at a race meeting looking for 'human interest stories'............there'll be human interest stories behind every horse in every race every day, but no one gives a damn
I'd hate to see the National go down the X Factor route where every jockey has to appear before the cameras to tell us of their dying grannies and how they bravely overcame an attack of the hiccoughs................
OK - no knowing much about racing I don't really understand that. I thought the winning horse was a total cracker and could have kept going for God knows how much longer - everything else in the field was knackered. It must surely have been amazing to watch such a trilling performance?
And I always think when the favourite wins it's so bloody boring - nothing unexpected happens.
Well done the winner!
Saw the news on Clare Balding tweet. Then she said " The Horse is ok" A bit of sarcasm there.
Doubt very much that she was being sarcastic....the fate of horses is usually always reported when there are falls and rightly so......Ryan Mania is reported as being' conscious and talking and able to move his limbs'.
How the hell do you come to that conclusion? Pillock!!
Your rather rude. I let that one go
https://mobile.twitter.com/mania450/status/320995512927002624