The Sporting calendar

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2009 Grand National:
Mon Mome wins a thrilling race, at 100-1.
With fast ground, the race was surprisingly slow in comparison to recent years. The bookies couldn’t seem to decide on a clear favourite, as the speed merchants floated in the betting, the outsiders odds shortened in the run up to race time.
Cerium, who was pipped for fourth place, started the morning at 500-1, but as the start came near, the odds were cut to 100-1.

Black Apalachi was the early leader, with the 12 year old Silver Birch in close contention, but as is often the case in the National, early leaders rarely last the distance.
Without pulling away, most were keen to survive the first circuit, before focusing on position on the second time around the course.
At Becher’s brook, a nod of the head saw Black Apalachi’s jockey thrown off and Silver Birch falling, the race started to open up as those remaining started to bunch together.

Last year’s winner, Comply or Die, was running the outside down the back straight, creeping up on the leaders, whilst the lead changed hands around the top turn, it could throw up a couple of future winners. Offshore account was looking fresh and cruising, Preists leap was also in the leading pack as they turned for home, speed of finish and firm ground would deny them a top four finish.

As they approached the second last, 12 horses were in contention, quite rare for the National. Comply or die went up the inside of the fence, Mon Mome went with him, which was a wise decision from jockey Liam Treadwell, making his Grand National debut.
Over the last Preists leap, Comply or die, Mon mome, My Will and Arteea (another 100-1 shot) were all side by side, but it quickly became apparent that Mon mome was the fresher horse as he stretched out a clear lead approaching the elbow and was increasing his lead when he crossed the line.

Mon Mome was the first 100-1 shot to win since Foinavon in the freak 1967 race and there were other 100-1 outsiders who were close to clinching one of the top four places (that the bookmakers payout on).

All in all a cracking race this year, all this after two false starts as well, the top four finished as follows:

Winner: Mon Mome 100-1
Second: Comply or die 14-1
Third: My Will 8-1 (joint second favourite)
Fourth: State of play 14-1

Key: Last few finshes – name – age – weight carried for the race.

1) 16-0431F CLOUDY LANE 9-11-10 Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain Jnr Jason Maguire
2) 61U1F234 CHELSEA HARBOUR (IRE) 9-11-08 Frances Duffin Tom Mullins IRE Emmet Mullins
3) 332-56F2 SNOWY MORNING (IRE) 9-11-08 Quayside Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE Andrew McNamara
4) 16UP-100 KNOWHERE (IRE) 11-11-07 Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies Paddy Brennan
5) P211-P00 COMPLY OR DIE (IRE) 10-11-06 David Johnson David Pipe Timmy Murphy
6) 40-255550 OLLIE MAGERN 11-11-06 Roger Nicholls Nigel Twiston-Davies Mr Sam Waley-Cohen
7) 4-2P51P04P STAN (NZ) 10-11-06 Paul Beck Venetia Williams Aidan Coleman
8, 20F2-P151 BLACK APALACHI (IRE) 10-11-05 Gerard Burke Dessie Hughes IRE Denis O’Regan
9) 501-556U HEAR THE ECHO (IRE) 8-11-05 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE Davy Russell
10) 140-0F10 PREISTS LEAP (IRE) 9-11-05 John D O’Donohue Tom O’Leary IRE Philip Enright
11) 32023/-55 MY WILL (FR) 9-11-04 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
12) 411P/1P/- EUROTREK (IRE) 13-11-03 Paul Green Paul Nicholls Sam Thomas
13) 2560-14 STATE OF PLAY 9-11-02 William & Angela Rucker Evan Williams Paul Moloney
14) 2-322U13 BIG FELLA THANKS 7-11-01 Paul Barber & Maggie Findlay Paul Nicholls Christian Williams
15) 00-210200 MON MOME (FR) 9-11-00 Vida Bingham Venetia Williams Liam Treadwell
16) F/02421/-0 SILVER BIRCH (IRE) 12-11-00 Brian Walsh (Co. Kildare) Gordon Elliott IRE Robbie Power
17) 03F-0005 BUTLER’S CABIN (FR) 9-10-13 J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill Tony McCoy
18) 1111/U2-2 OFFSHORE ACCOUNT (IRE) 9-10-13 Brian Polly Charlie Swan IRE David Casey
19) 23/54-1P PARSONS LEGACY (IRE) 11-10-12 Rodney Offer Philip Hobbs Richard Johnson
20) F0612/-P0 REVEILLEZ 10-10-12 J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill Mark Walsh
21) 00146P6P FUNDAMENTALIST (IRE) 11-10-11 Colin Cornes Nigel Twiston-Davies David England
22) 1/P133/3-0 GOLDEN FLIGHT (FR) 10-10-11 John & Barbara Cotton Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty
23) 03F0-4212 L’AMI (FR) 10-10-11 J P McManus Enda Bolger IRE Robert Thornton
24) 332-245P BATTLECRY 8-10-10 Trevor Hemmings Nigel Twiston-Davies Tom Scudamore
25) P00-F120 CORNISH SETT (IRE) 10-10-10 Peter Hart Paul Nicholls Nick Scholfield
26) 042-P610 FLEET STREET 10-10-10 Henry Ponsonby Nicky Henderson Andrew Tinkler
27) 1222100 MUSICA BELLA (FR) 9-10-10 Jean-Paul Senechal Francois Cottin FR Philip Carberry
28) 63-111314 CAN’T BUY TIME (IRE) 7-10-09 J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill Noel Fehily
29) 113P//-3P1 DARKNESS 10-10-09 Lady Lloyd-Webber Charles Egerton Wayne Hutchinson
30) F323111 IRISH INVADER (IRE) 8-10-09 Sackcloth & Ashes Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE Paul Townend
31) 46-56511 RAMBLING MINSTER 11-10-09 The Lingdale Optimists Keith Reveley James Reveley
32) 5F/-06U343 SOUTHERN VIC (IRE) 10-10-09 Brenda Graham Ted Walsh IRE Niall Madden
33) 20P-1112 KILBEGGAN BLADE 10-10-07 Kevin & Anne Doocey Tom George Graham Lee
34) 4124021 BROOKLYN BROWNIE (IRE) 10-10-06 Kieren Gaffney & Neil Stevenson Malcolm Jefferson Phil Kinsella
35) 1-P504P0 HIMALAYAN TRAIL 10-10-06 Anne Gittins Jimmy Mangan IRE Paddy Flood
36) 3/00010-0 ARTEEA (IRE) 10-10-05 Judith Wilson David Pipe Johnny Farrelly
37) 0P/50PP-0 CERIUM (FR) 8-10-05 Judith Wilson Paul Murphy Keith Mercer
38) 050-2403 IDLE TALK (IRE) 10-10-05 Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain Jnr Brian Harding
39) 0F2U6-P00 KELAMI (FR) 11-10-05 Halewood International Ltd Lisa Williamson Derek Laverty
40) 0/232P5/- ZABENZ (NZ) 12-10-05 Michael Watt & Sarah Hobbs Philip Hobbs Tom O’Brien

With the Grand National running tomorrow, the going looks like it will be good to firm.
Weather forecasts predict a little rain over night, with more sunny spells on saturday.
Here in the north west we have had very little rain over the past week with some glorious sunshine and very mild temperatures, so although the Aintree course will be watered, the going will favour horses higher up in the weights.
It will be a fast race, I’d prefer a mudbath, as it is a great leveller, but there is almost no chance of this for this years race.
Good luck punters!

With just 15 days to go until the Aintree meeting with the world’s most famous steeplechase, lets have a look at some of the runners.

Character building – a 9 year old grey horse, has good credentials for this years race.
- February 2007 – finished second to Butler’s cabin in the National hunt chase at the Cheltenham festival.
- December 2007 – finished third behind Denman (another national runner) in the Gold Cup at Newbury
- February 2009 – disappointed at Haydock when poor finish behind Rambling minster in the Gold Cup – but this was on “heavy” ground.
Character Building has however posted some good results, winning over hurdles at Towcester in November 2008 and was in the frame in competitive handicap chases at Cheltenham in December 2008 and January 2009

His weakness is heavy ground, he prefers fast ground, so if the course is good – good to firm, he could well be in with a shout.

Another one to watch, if the ground isn’t heavy, is the currently top weighted horse Exotic Dancer.
Aimed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup (in which he finished third) which was an improvement on his 2008 finish of fifth.
He has won the Lexus Grade 1 chase in leopardstown back in December 2008, where he beat another Aintree contender, War of attrition by 20 lengths.

I’ve got my eye on Hot Weld the Scottish National winner in 2007.

Butler’s cabin who won the 2007 Irish National, was going well last year at Aintree until falling at Bechers Brook second time around. Again, just a 9 year old, he is joint favourite for the Grand National 2009.

Priests leap could be a “dark horse” as he has beaten Chelsea Harbour back in January in a handicap chase, Chelsea Harbour was running at Cheltenham as preperation for the National, after finishing 9th in last years Grand National.

All in all it is hotting up, ready for the world’s greatest race!

An incredible 106 horses have been put forward for entry to this years Grand National!
You can now keep upto date using our direct feed, on your left hand side.

With only 40 runners permitted in the race and some of last years finishers struggling with injuries, it could leave the race open to a new star.
Any tips for me, please leave them on a comment as I have never ever picked the winner in 19 years of trying!