Grand National 1999 Preview

Suny Bay

Suny Bay was last year rated as one of the top class chasers and therefore will carry top weight in this race. He has run very well in the last two years Nationals finishing second in both carrying 9st 3lbs and 12st 0lbs respectively. Last years run was definitely the best as 12st is a very big weight to carry in this marathon and he actually ran up to his best form on that day, but could not give 23lbs to Earth Summit however both horses were a distance ahead of the third. In the last two years he has also run in the Gold Cup and twice has not run very well. He is a horse that runs better when fresh so this year he was given a good break before the race but he seemed to make too many mistakes of the type he will not get away with at Aintree and was very disappointing when tailed off and pulled up two out, however if he comes out of the race okay you could not say that he had a hard race. In his race before that he fell which is uncharacteristic for the horse and he was reported to have found to have mucus when scoped after the race. His two other runs this year were both wins at Haydock Park where he beat Earth Summit on one occasion and See More Business ( The winner of the Gold Cup ) on the other. The ground is critical for Suny Bay the ground must be no firmer than good, and soft would be ideal. However it again is the weight problem that may be the undoing of the horse even if you take into account all his class and experience it must be remembered that no horse since Red Rum when he won his second national in 1974 carrying 12st has carried a weight as big as this to win the race.
Plus Points : Very good past national runs : Trip : Likes Aintree : Runs well when fresh.
Minus Points : Weight : Poor last 3 runs :
Suny Bay is trained by S.Sherwood

General Wolfe

General Wolfe is a good chaser who fortunes have been a bit up and down. He is a horse that seems to win once in a season but is difficult to assess. He has run some blinding races at Haydock Park which is a similar type of course to Aintree, but when he tried the Aintree fences in 1997 he did not take to them at all. He likes ground on the soft side and has won on heavy. The problem with this horse is his jumping he does tend to make mistakes and has fallen once this year already. He put up a poor performance at his favourite Haydock Park on his last outing and would have to show considerable improvement to be in with a chance here.
Plus Points : G2 chase winner
Minus Points : Poor recent form, not a good jumper, dislikes course.
General Wolfe is Trained by V.Williams

Earth Summit

This very high class chaser won this race last year in good style when he had Suny Bay 11 lengths behind in second place and the third horse Samlee a distance behind them both. His past wins include The Scottish National and The Welsh National. At the start of this season he had won 8 of his 34 starts so is not what you would call a prolific winner but is very good at long distances when the ground is soft or heavy although his form shows that he can handle good ground. He has had injury problems in the past but seems to be over that now. He started this season well when winning the Becher chase at Aintree in November, and then coming in second to Suny Bay at Haydock. He has since been a little disappointing when being pulled up in the Welsh National ( tried without blinkers ) and getting tailed off in January at Haydock Park. The lay off since may well do him some good and it has been announced by his connections that Carl Llewellyn will be back on board in the national. Should the ground turn out to be soft then he would stand a great chance of repeating his winning performance last year given that he has not got a very big weight for a past winner.
Plus Points : Course and Distance winner , Racing weight , Jockey has 2 previous wins.
Against : Recent form.
Earth Summit is trained by N.Twiston Davies.

Lord Gyllene

A good winner of this race in 1997 and is another who likes marathon contests. However he suffered an injury in 97 which forced him to take a year off to recover and has had two runs this year and has not shown his old sparkle. He shows he acts on good ground as all of his wins have come on good. He has not had many races despite being an eleven year old now and if he got back to his best he would have a chance but as he has not shown anything yet. It is very difficult to fancy his chances of even running into a place.
Plus Points : Past winner, Trip, Course
Minus Points : Poor recent form, Long lay off.
Lord Gyllene is Trained by S.Brookshaw

Coome Hill

Coome Hill is another of the Point-to-Point chasers to go on to a good career under rules. A high class chaser this as could be seen in his Hennessy Gold Cup win in the 96/97 season. . However since that season he has not performed up to this class. He has had some injury problems and most recently pulled up in his last two outing's despite winning his first race this year. He is another horse who could be very good if he could get over his injury problems. He seems to act on most goings having won races on all from g/s to g/f. He obviously has a good race in him but I don't think this will be the one.
Plus Points : acts on any going
Minus Points : Poor recent form.
Coome Hill is Trained by W.Dennis.

Cyborgo

This horse was the model of consistency winning 11 races from 1994 to Jan 1997 and then his form dried up. He is an out and out stayer and seems to act on any ground but firm. If you look beyond his recent poor form back in 96/97 won four of his five starts and his only defeat came in the Gold Cup. He was injured last year when he pulled up in the Gold Cup ( Carrying out See More Business and Indian Tracker in the process ) and was reported to have leg trouble. This year he has pulled up twice and has never really shown any form so it is difficult to see him coming back to form out of the blue. It is hard to fancy him without at least one good run behind him since his injury.
Plus Points : acts on any going.
Minus Points : Poor recent form.
Cyborgo is Trained by M.Pipe.

Eudipe

Eudipe was a good novice and looked as if he may have trained on with some good runs to finish in the frame in the Hennessy, Scottish National and Whitbread last year, But also ran some very ordinary races. He may be at the top of his handicap now but this race has been his aim this season and therefore Mr. Pipe will have him spot on for this race, however his last run was disappointing . If he still has some improvement to come ( and why not he is only 7 ) then he could do well. He acts on ground from good to soft.
Plus points : May have a little improvement to come
Minus Points : Poor last run.
Eudipe is Trained by M.Pipe

Double Thriller

This horse was a good hunter chaser and much has been made of his defeat of Teeton Mill in a hunter chase at Cheltenham, although this was a good win Teeton Mill has improved greatly in the intervening period and the same can't yet be said of Double Thriller. This is not to say that he is not as good as Teeton Mill indeed he ran a very good race to come 4th at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup. He may be anything and given that he has been given 10st 8lbs to carry this he should with no problems. He has been trained this season by P.Nicholls and Paul has been in great form recently winning the Gold Cup with See More Business . If he is really top class then he will never get a better chance to win this race.
Plus Points : Seems to be running into form : good weight.
Minus Points : Hard recent race at Cheltenham.
Double Thriller is Trained by P.Nicholls.

Senior El Betrutti

This is another high class horse but his wins have come at distances a lot shorter that this marathon indeed his fourth in last years Gold Cup was probably his best performance at a distance greater than 2 miles 5 f and his best wins have been around 2 miles and a quarter. In 1997 he won the Murphy's and Tripleprint Gold Cup double and was at the height of his form then when the ground was firm and although he has won on all goings except the extremes he seems to show his best when the ground is firmer. This year he did not get off to a good start but seemed to be coming back to form at Ascot when coming second to Teeton Mill But then in the Gold Cup he lost touch quickly before finishing 9th and last. It is very difficult to see this horse getting into the frame unless the ground turns up firm which although is uncommon is not unknown.
Plus Points : A sound jumper.
Minus Points : Trip.
Senior El Betrutti is Trained by Mrs S.Nock.

Belmont King

Belmont King is a good chaser and has run well in the last two Scottish Nationals winning in 1997 and being passed in the closing stages last year However he does tend to make jumping errors in his races and fell in the Hennessy last year. He seems to act on any ground but his wins seem to be spread out somewhat. His form this year has not been that good with a pulled up and a 6th, given his poor recent form and his tendency now to make jumping errors it is difficult to fancy his chances here.
Plus Points: Distance.
Minus Points : poor recent form, Poor jumping
Belmont King is trained by P.Nicholls.

Addington Boy

Addington Boy's recent form until his run in the Gold Cup showed nothing of what he is capable of. He has won good races in the past including the 1996 Tripleprint Gold Cup. He is also a winner twice at Aintree and has won 10 of his 27 starts. He is another horse who like firm ground although he has won on all goings through to soft. His most recent run was a creditable 5th in the Cheltenham Gold Cup where he was held up and was going well but when asked the question was not quite up to the class of the winner.
Plus Points : Has won on course ( though not National fences ).
Minus Points : Has not won a race since Dec 1996.
Addington Boy is Trained by F.Murphy.

Rough Quest

Rough Quest is a past winner of this race, He won impressively in 1996 But is now past his best. Has been Hunter chasing this year and has won a race but also has pulled up twice. The last time he won a race under ' rules ' was back in his glory year of 1996. He is however a tough chaser with plenty of ability and it would not be surprising if he ran into a place as he ran for a long way last year before his jockey pulled him up two out. He should stay the trip again and this light weight should also help but it's unlikely that he will do any more than run into a place at best.
Plus Points : Course and distance winner.
Minus Points : Age, recent form.
Rough Quest is Trained by T.Casey.

Tamarindo

Tamarindo is a 6 year old Trained by M.Pipe. He was a good Hurdler last year and won three in a row in the back end of the season. He started this season with two wins and then pulled up twice he also pulled up on his last outing. He likes going left handed and seems to act on any ground. He is also a chase winner in France where they send horses over fences at a very early age. He Lacks the experience for this type of race and would have to be very special to win this and he has not shown that sort of ability yet .
Plus Points : None.
Minus Points : Lack of experience, Trip.
Tamarindo is Trained by M.Pipe.

Fiddling the Facts

Fiddling the Facts is a high class chaser and has been the nearly horse this season with form figures of 3222 . She is a lovely mare and is very consistent when the ground is in her favour and this is critical as last year when the ground firmed up she completely lot her form. Her second in the Welsh National to Kendal Cavalier was very impressive especially if you consider it was bottomless ground and the fact that she was finishing faster than anything and certainly looked as if she would get further, and in another 100 yards may have won. She has made jumping errors in the past. If Mick Fitzgerald decides to ride this horse then I think that would be a significant booking as he gets the plum rides at P.Nicholls yard now as well as riding for N.Henderson. Given soft ground and a little luck in running and jumping then I think this horse could win and certainly has good place claims.
Plus Points : Has a racing weight.
Minus Points : Runs badly in good ground or better.
Fiddling the Facts is Trained by N.Henderson.

Baronet

Baronet is an out and out stayer and is better at 4 miles plus but is another who needs his ground and with this one it has to be at least good and preferably firmer than that. He is not the easiest of rides and takes a lot to get going but when in the mood really stays on. He won the Scottish National back in 1998 and was third in that race in 1996. He has not had too many races this season and has won once But on his last outing He ran a stinker at Uttoxeter in March Trying to give weight to all, This would be very worrying except the ground that day was good/soft and may have been softer than that.
Plus Points : Distance
Minus Points : Hard ride
Baronet is Trained by D.Nicholson

Papillon

This is good Irish trained ' Raider ' a versatile horse with bits of in and out form. He seems to prefer going right handed and acts on good ground. He was second in the Irish National last year when trying to give weight away . He could be anything and has a low weight here.
Plus Points : Distance.
Minus Points : Like going right handed.
Papillon is Trained by T.Walsh.

Call it a Day

Call it a Day has run some good races this season without getting a win under his belt. He is a consistent sort and showed his class when he won the Whitbread at Sandown last year. He was third in last years Irish National. He also ran very well to come second to Young Kenny in a 4 mile race at Uttoxeter on March 20th but may have had a hard race too close to this one. He is not without a chance but would have to improve but he may have improvement in him.
Plus Points : Stays all day
Minus Points : Will need to Improve
Call it a Day is Trained by D.Nicholson.

Avro Anson

A reasonable chaser Who was 6th in 1997 . He was a good novice but on his recent form he has had only one race this year and he pulled up in it, It would be something if he completed the course this year and realistically should not have a chance with in this company. Likes firmer ground.
Plus Points : none
Minus Points : recent form.
Avro Anson is trained by Miss J.Camacho

Kendal Cavalier

A good chaser who is another who has in and out form this year. He is one who is another out and out stayer he loves soft ground but goes better on heavy and will be staying on when others have given up if he gets his ground. He put up a good performance this year when winning the Welsh National and looks the right sort for the National.
Plus Point : Distance.
Minus Points : Lost a little form recently.
Kendal Cavalier is Trained by N.Hawke.

Nahthen Lad

This horse would be the most popular winner of the National and there would not be a dry eye in the house if he came home first to give Jenny Pitman her 3rd official win in her final year as a trainer. ( 3rd official win because her horse finished first in the 1993 void race ). Another good horse this who is probably better than his handicap mark he ran well for much of the way in the 1997 race however last year he fell at the 11th fence but horses who fall do sometimes go on to win in other years. Nahthen Lad has not shown very much form this year and would have to improve on his form to get placed this year but is not by any means a no-hoper especially if you consider he was good enough to win a Sun Alliance in 1996.
Plus Points : Has been here before
Minus Points : recent form
Nahthen Lad is Trainer by J.Piman.

Samlee

Samlee would seem to be an ordinary chaser until you look as his prize money which is well over £140,000. The key to this horse is Stamina if the Grand National was a five or six mile race this horse would be a good thing ( he raced 33 miles in total last season! ), But it's not ! So what are his chances ? well he seems to act on any going but does particularly well when the ground is heavy but I think the reason for this is that it slows sown the opposition . He has run some good races including his third in this race last year. He started this season with a couple of seconds but then has fallen and been pulled up. It is difficult to see him winning especially as he is so far out of the handicap however if the ground can up heavy again I could easily see him running into a place.
Plus Points : Distance no problem, likes Aintree.
Minus Points : Resent form, 10 lbs out of the handicap.
Samlee is Trained by P.Hobbs.