Ain’t That a Shame takes over as Grand National favorite
AINTREE, England – The $1.24 million Grand National had a new favorite on Friday afternoon, a day before the famous steeplechase is run at Aintree Racecourse north of Liverpool.
Ain’t That a Shame, a 9-year-old gelding, who won a $12,100 prep race at 2 1/2 miles at Gowran Park in Ireland last month, was bet down from 14-1 earlier in the week to 8-1 with bookmakers on Friday, a slight choice over Corach Rambler and Delta Work at 9-1 in the 40-runner field.
Corach Rambler was as low as 7-1 on Thursday.
The market is likely to change again before post time at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Wagering on race day is available through DRFBets.com.
Most betting in Britain occurs through bookmakers, with handle on the race expected to reach approximately $185 million, according to betting industry experts. The Grand National is by far the most popular betting race in this country.
Ain’t That a Shame, a winner of 2 of 10 starts, is trained by Henry de Bromhead and will be ridden by Rachael Blackmore. They teamed to win the 2021 Grand National with Minella Times.
Ain’t That a Shame won for the first time in a steeplechase at Gowran Park on soft-to-heavy turf, his seventh start over fences. The turf course was listed as soft at Aintree on Friday after steady rain in early afternoon.
The Grand National at 4 5/16 miles will be Ain’t That a Shame’s first start beyond 3 1/4 miles. He won a maiden race over hurdles at 2 15/16 miles at Thurles in February 2021 in his third start, and was second by a head in the Munster National Chase at three miles at Limerick Racecourse in Ireland last October. The winner of that race, The Big Dog, is a 14-1 chance for Saturday’s Grand National.
Ain’t That a Shame and Corach Rambler will carry 145 pounds, considerably less than highweight Any Second Now, who will carry 166 pounds. Any Second Now, the winner of a chase at 2 9/16 miles at Navan Racecourse in Ireland on March 20, was 12-1 on Friday.
Pic d’Orhy wins Marsh Steeplechase
Pic d’Orhy, an 8-year-old gelding who has struggled in Grade 1 races in recent years and underwent a breathing operation last year, won the richest race of his career in Friday’s $312,000 Marsh Steeplechase at 2 1/2 miles at Aintree.
Ridden by Harry Cobden for trainer Paul Nicholls, Pic D’Orhy was well-placed throughout while stalking the pace and pulled clear before the 15th of 16 fences.
Pic d’Orhy (who paid $8.40 in American pools) finished 4 1/4 lengths in front of 6-5 favorite Fakir d’Oudairies in a field of seven.
Pic d’Orhy has won 11 of 27 starts in a career that began in France in 2018. Pic d’Orhy had won four Grade 2 or Grade 3 races for chasers or hurdlers before Friday. He has won 4 of 5 starts since undergoing a breathing operation last summer.
At the start of the seven-race program, the 7-year-old gelding Gerri Colombe confirmed his status as a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup contender next March with a comprehensive win in the $124,600 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at 3 1/8 miles.
Ridden by 43-year-old Davy Russell, who ended a brief retirement earlier this year, Gerri Colombe ($3.20) won by 7 1/2 lengths over the promising gelding Compete Unknown, the 5-1 third choice of six.
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