Tallyho Twinkletoe looks for another sweep in Grand National Hurdle

Tallyho Twinkletoe completed a rare double in Australia last August, winning the Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Chase in consecutive starts. He was the first horse to sweep the two races since Mosstrooper in 1930.

Tallyho Twinkletoe, a 10-year-old gelding, may have a chance to repeat that historic achievement this year. Sunday, Tallyho Twinkletoe will start favored in the $178,500 Grand National Hurdle on the Lakeside course at Ladbrokes Park in Melbourne.

Trained by Patrick Payne, Tallyho Twinkletoe is approaching the race in outstanding form. After finishing second in a flat race at about 1 1/4 miles at Wanganui Racecourse on June 25 in his 2020 debut, Tallyho Twinkletoe won two starts over hurdles in quick succession -- at 1 1/2 miles at Wanganui Racecourse on July 10 and at 2 3/16 miles at Pakenham Racecourse on July 19.

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Tallyho Twinkletoe, a winner of 13 of 24 starts in his career and 9 of 10 jump races, won the Grand National Hurdle in 2019 by 4 3/4 lengths.

The $178,500 race is run at 2 5/8 miles and drew a field of nine on Sunday. Tallyho Twinkletoe was 6-5 on Friday, a slight choice over Ablaze at 3-2 in early betting.

Ablaze is the rare horse equally adept at racing over obstacles and on the flat.

This year in Australia, Ablaze has won a flat race at 1 7/8 miles at Moonee Valley in February, and two steeplechases at Warrambool in March and May, including the prestigious Grand Annual Chase in May.

Ablaze, a 9-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles, both last August in a seven-day span.

The Grand National Hurdle is the richest of nine races on the Ladbrokes Park program, which begins at 9:55 p.m. Eastern or 6:55 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. The track is known historically as Sandown Racecourse.

In the race following the Grand National Hurdle, Payne starts the 10-year-old gelding Slowpoke Rodriguez in the $89,250 Crisp Steeplechase at 2 5/8 miles.

Fourth behind Tallyho Twinkletoe in the 2019 Grand National Chase, Slowpoke Rodriguez ended an 11-race losing streak with a victory in the Mosstrooper Steeplechase at 2 3/16 miles at Pakenham on July 19.

The 11-year-old gelding Felix Bay was third as the 5-2 favorite in the Mosstrooper Chase, beaten two lengths, and could go favored in the Crisp, which drew a field of 10.