🏇 Midlands Grand National Uttoxeter: The Full Report

How’s it going?

Hands up if you found the 66/1, 50/1, 40/1, 33/1 & 22/1 winners at Cheltenham?

Okay, how about the 20/1, 18/1, 14/1, 12/1, 11/1, 11/1 10/1 & 10/1 winners?

Easy this game.

Four days of the Festival can leave you punch-drunk.

But, whatever your mood, our team has done the homework ahead of this weekend to give you a helping hand.

There’s also plenty of mouth-watering racing to come…

We’re not saying these quotes will change your life, but they may steer you in the right direction on Saturday…

Since finishing runner-up on Boxing Day, trainer Dan Skelton says that Chuggy (2:08 Kempton) is ‘fresh and well, and I think he will run a big race’ (Ladbrokes).

Skelton also mentioned that Kadastral (4.10 Uttoxeter) was ‘blunted by the bad ground’ on his last run and that Saturday’s ‘step up in trip is a positive’. (Ladbrokes).

Trainer Nicky Henderson is sweet on the chances of Califet En Vol (3:18 Kempton) who is ‘an improving horse, and should be capable of going very close’ (Unibet).

With the evenings getting lighter, the Flat season is almost here.

The Irish Flat season actually gets underway on Sunday, at the Curragh (Dublin).

Headlining the card is the Irish Lincolnshire.

Twenty-six runners bombing it down the one-mile straight.

Remember Bulldog at school?

If a cavalry charge is not your thing, feel free to move on to the Bet Builder section 👇

But, if you do fancy hunting down the winner, we’ve unearthed some simple stats to help whittle down the list 🔎

The majority of Irish Lincolnshire winners had the following traits in their profile…

We came up with these two:

✅ Eastwatch
✅ Whip Cracker

We’ve given ‘The 100% Club’ a rebrand.

The search for consistent horses finishing in the frame continues.

They make ideal Bet Builder material in the place market.

Their odds, though, depend on how many places you choose.

There are odds for a top 2 finish (place) all the way through to a top 10 finish - as seen in this 22-runner field at Cheltenham from midweek…

This weekend’s exclusive members are here for you to peruse, including their official place strike-rate:

The bookies also provide odds about any horse to win by a specific distance (in lengths), or what the ‘winning distance’ of a race will be - hence ‘Lengthen Your Odds’.

Our team’s digging found some interesting weekend races that historically favoured shorter or wider winning distances:

Weekend races with big winning margins:

1.33 Kempton - The four winners won by:
8½L, 1½L, 11L, 4L

2.00 Fontwell – The last four winners won by:
3¾L, 6L, 2¼L, 18L

3.53 Kempton - The last four winners won by:
5L, 1L, 5½L, 24L

4.28 Kempton - The last seven winners won by:
2¾L, 4L, 7L, 5L, 3¾L, 5½L, 5L

4.35 Newcastle - The last seven winners won by:
2½L, 5½L, 3½L, neck, 3¼L, 1¾L, 18L

Weekend races with small winning margins:

5.10 Newcastle - The last seven winners won by:
2L, neck, 1½L, head, 1¾L, ½L, 1L

5:30 Curragh (Sun) - The last four winners won by:
Head, 1½L, ¾L, ½L

Not all favourites win.

Here are several that may be worth taking on this weekend ⚔️

2.08 Kempton – Secret Des Dieux
Yet to win in a Class 3 or better race (0-6), while drying conditions won’t help.

3:25 Newcastle – Young Jack
Both wins came when rested for 35 days or longer, while drying ground is a worry.

3:45 Fontwell – Innisfree Lass
May not enjoy this helter-skelter track - all three wins came on a level surface at Southwell.

Some trainers may not boast big numbers, but they remain bang in form 🔥

Mark Walford

From January 1 until 18 February: 0 wins from 48 runners
From 21 February until 12 March: 4 wins & 3 places from 15 runners
Weekend runners: Roxy Belle (2:45 Newcastle), Johnsons Blue (3:25 Newcastle)

Richard Bandey

Recent runners: 3rd of 22, 1st of 6, 1st of 4, 3rd of 13, 2nd of 10
Weekend runners: Knight Templar (1.25 Fontwell), Flintara (3.45 Fontwell), Ilot de L’Isle (2:57 Market Rasen, Sunday)

Simon Crisford (Flat)

Recent runners: 2nd of 5, 1st of 10, 3rd of 5, 1st of 3, 3rd of 8, 2nd of 8
Weekend runners: Kokushoku (7.30 Southwell)

The one they call ‘El Puro’ heads north for three of his Saturday wagers, while mixing it up down south.

A total of five wagers suggests one of two things…

…either a touch of over-confidence following a blinding Cheltenham, or back against the wall time?

Hmmm.

THE SMALLEST PRICE - DIAMOND MIX (2:15 Newcastle)

Ran a career-best victory in November. Rested since (away from the mud), and has experience of running here at Newcastle - unlike his rivals.

THE SMALLEST PRICE - BOULTYDOOLIN (2:45 Chepstow, Sunday)

The yard won this with Haiti Couleurs two years ago, and have another staying type who will enjoy this trip after making late ground over shorter last time.

THE MEDIUM PRICE - CALIFET EN VOL (3.18 Kempton)

His career best victory over course and distance last time took his record when racing at a right-handed track to 3-3.

THE MEDIUM PRICE - GOLDEN POINT (3.35 Uttoxeter)

Seven-year-olds have a good record in this race, and Golden Point appears to have been put aside for this prize by his in-form yard since winning at Christmas.

THE BIGGEST PRICE - DE LEGISLATOR (3:00 Uttoxeter)

Recent history suggests to look for double-figure odds, so this nine-year-old is worth a chance to bounce back following two flops. His December third in Kelso’s National reads well, and his yard remains in terrific form.

Several runners shortened for the Grand National after running well at Cheltenham: Johnnywho (16/1 from 33/1), Jagwar (14/1 from 33/1), and Now Is The Hour (16/1 from 40/1).

Trainer Alan King’s runners remain in good form, and he won Kempton’s 4:28 twice since 2022 with an unraced four-year-old. He runs Stars Aligning on Saturday.

The final scores are in from Cheltenham…

► ITV (free): Kempton 2:08, 2:40, 3:18; Uttoxeter 2:25, 3.00, 3:35.
► Sky Sports Racing (free): Fontwell, Newcastle, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Chepstow.
► Racing UK (subscription): Kempton, Market Rasen, Curragh.

We’re putting our feet up after a hectic week of studying form 😵‍💫

So, until next Friday when we return as fresh as paint...

..keep ‘em peeled 👀