Camilla Swift

How to back the right horse: top tips for the Grand National

  • From Spectator Life
The 2019 Grand National, Image: Getty

Around £250 million was placed in bets on the 2019 Grand National, and this Saturday’s Grand National, which will be shown live on ITV at 5.15pm, looks set to be equally popular.

Cloth Cap, they say, ‘should win it’. Trained by Jonjo O’Neill, he has a stone in hand carrying 10st 5 – which is one of the reasons why he’ll be ridden by Tom Scudamore, who picked up the ride in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury due to being able to make the 10 stone weight. He won easily. The pair went on to romp up at Kelso as well; but what would make this a nice tale is that both the jockey and the horse have Grand National heritage behind them. Scudamore’s grandfather Michael rode in the race 16 times, winning in 1959 on Oxo. The horse is owned by another Aintree aficionado Trevor Hemmings, whose famous green, yellow and white colours have previously won the National with Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many Clouds.

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