Minella Times has emerged as the best-backed horse outside of the favourite for Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree.
Support for the famous Trevor Hemmings colours of previous winners Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many Clouds have seen Cloth Cap at the head of the market all week and the 9-year-old looked set to start National day a hot 9/2 shot to deliver trainer Jonjo O’Neill his second winner in the race.
However, growing support for Minella Times was closing the gap at the top of the market on Friday afternoon as BoyleSports cut Rachael Blackmore’s mount into 8/1 having been out at 14/1 earlier in the week.
Former BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner Burrows Saint is another of the well-backed Irish raiders as the 9/1 third favourite, with Any Second Now a consistently supported 10/1 shot to hand Ted Walsh his second training triumph in the race following Papillon’s victory in 2000.
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Cloth Cap has been the best backed horse in the race all week, but the Irish horses are closing in now and we anticipate they’ll be all the rage in the hours before the off. Burrows Saint, Any Second Now and Minella Times will be big losers in our book especially the latter with the Rachael Blackmore factor making many minds up.”
Grand National
9/2 Cloth Cap
8/1 Minella Times
9/1 Burrows Saint
10/1 Any Second Now
12/1 Kimberlite Candy
14/1 Discorama
18/1 Magic Of Light
18/1 Potters Corner
18/1 Farclas
20/1 bar
Specials
5/4 Minella Times to beat Cloth Cap
10/11 Winning distance over 4 lengths
EVS Winning Distance under 3 lengths
2/1 Cloth Cap, Burrows Saint, Minella Times or Any Second Now to win
6/1 Minella Times to win without Cloth Cap
15/2 Burrows Saint to win without Cloth Cap
