The Gordon Elliott trained Tiger Roll seeks to win the Grand National for the third straight year (Photo credit: Aintree Racecourse).
Tiger Roll has quickly established himself into the most followed and loved horse in National hunt racing. This is due to the fact he has won two consecutive Grand nationals and became the first horse since Red Rum in 1974 to achieve this feat. The big question now is whether he could go for a third this season?
He has recently suffered a setback, that is set to rule him out until February at the earliest. His trainer Gordon Elliott said he is still confident the horse will be able to return in time for the Boyne hurdle, before looking to again land the Cross Country at the Cheltenham festival. Tiger Roll won both races in stunning fashion last season that set him up for his record breaking victory in the Grand national at Aintree.
Tiger Roll has now won five of his last six starts, a run that started at the 2018 Cheltenham festival. He was sent off as an outsider at 7/1 for the Cross Country on unsuitable ground. However, he powered through the contest and won by two lengths from Urgent De Gregaine. At the time this was also his third Cheltenham festival victory, following previous victories in the Triumph hurdle and National Hunt chase.
Following the 2018 Cheltenham festival success, Tiger was sent off as the favourite for the Grand National off a weight of 10-13. He put in a stunning round of jumping under Davy Russell, to clear away, only to pull himself up on the run in and just hold on by a head from the fast finishing Pleasant Company.
Tiger Roll wins the 2018 Grand National#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/a6VpGH8mu0
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 14, 2018
Tiger Roll was then given a lengthy 216 day break and returned by running fourth at the November meeting at Cheltenham. Following a further 93 day break, he was sent back over hurdles to contest the Grade two Boyne hurdle. Nothing was expected of the horse, as this was clearly being used as a means of getting a run into him and he was sent off as the 25/1 outsider. Despite this, a number of loyal punters supported him using the latest offers at the PA lottery bonus code and cashed in. Tiger travelled ominously well throughout the race and eased clear to win by four lengths on the bridle. This gave a clear indication that the horse was in the form of his life and was going to take the world of beating for the rest of the season.
Next up for Tiger Roll was a defence of the Cross Country title and a fourth festival victory. He was sent off at 5/4 and many people’s idea of the banker of the meeting. There was never a moments worry and he could be called the winner from the start as he drew effortlessly clear to win by 22 lengths. This victory set him up for a second Grand national victory and he again put in a near faultless round of jumping to win by just under three lengths off a weight of 11-5.
Tiger Roll wins the Randox Health Grand National!
Back-to-back Grand Nationals and a place in history pic.twitter.com/vcF6v9JEOL
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 6, 2019
If Tiger Roll returns in the same form, then a Cross Country victory would be almost certain and he would again start as the favourite for the Grand National.
