Tiger Roll could make history in the 2019 Grand National, if he can become the first horse since Red Rum to make it back-to-back triumphs in the famous race.
And he could become the shortest-priced winner of the Grand National since 11/4 shot Poethlyn all the way back in 1919. Tiger Roll is in great form too after his brilliant run to win the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham Festival by a mighty 22l.
At the age of nine, and in the current form that Tiger Roll is in, it seems this is his perfect chance to retain the National.
The course has favoured eight and nine-year-old runners in recent years, with the last four winners all being eight or nine, including his win last year. That leaves Tiger Roll at a great age to retain the crown.
Tiger Roll enters this year’s Grand National at a heavier weight than he was carrying last year, at 11-1 compared to the 10-13 mark he won with 12 months ago.
Handed 10-11 by the handicapper, Tiger Roll sits beautifully in what appears to be a golden bracket for Grand National winners, even if he is slightly heavier than his 10-13 mark from 12 months ago.
Nine of the last 11 Nationals have been won by horses carrying between 10-07 and 11-06.
The stats heavily suggest that any weight around the late-10st and early-11st mark appears to be optimum weight for victory.
Tiger Roll Trainer and Jockey
It’s already been a good year for Tiger Roll’s trainer Gordon Elliott, with the success of his nine-year-old charge at Cheltenham.
Elliott will have been working hard to make sure his star chaser stands the best chance of getting a second Grand National victory on the spin.
After picking up his first National win as a trainer when Tiger Roll won by a head last year, he’ll be hoping for an easier time of it this time around, especially with the form his gelding is showing.
With a total of 1012 wins for his horses in his training career, and a further 1670 placings, he’ll be hoping Tiger Roll can add to his impressive tally on a course which seems to serve the Irish training elite well.
Tiger Roll is likely to be ridden by Keith Donoghue. Davy Russell steered Tiger Roll to victory at Aintree last year, and could get the nod. But Donoghue has been aboard for the raider’s last three runs – including that spellbinding win at Cheltenham last month.
Tiger Roll Last 10 Race records
Looking back over Tiger Roll’s last 10 races takes us back to the 2017 Cheltenham Festival.
It was then where many people got an inkling that Elliott’s charge could be a star of the future, as he galloped to victory in the JT McNamara Hunt.
That was followed by a few difficult runs for the remainder of 2017, but Tiger Roll has been in a class of his own since then.
He’s won four of his last five races, including two wins in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and of course that legendary win in the 2018 Grand National.
Tiger Roll has won a cool £822,287 in race winnings, and that rises to £867,282 in total earnings.
What are Tiger Roll’s chances to win
As we alluded to earlier, Tiger Roll could be the shortest-price favourite to win the Grand National in 100 years.
He went off as a 10/1 shot 12 months ago, but his subsequent win and romping victory at Cheltenham has forced his price to tumble and tumble.
Anything can happen around the 4m 2f showpiece, but Tiger Roll has experience, the pace, and crucially, sensational stamina.
Those ingredients are the make-up of a champion, and Tiger Roll is a massive favourite for that reason.
There will be no concerns about the course either. Elliott’s star has shown he can take on the Aintree challenge, and in winning form too.
There will be some tough competition coming from Anibale Fly, Rathvinden and Vintage Clouds. But if on form, Tiger Roll should be well-placed to canter to another victory.
The statistics over time say Tiger Roll won’t win. No Grand National-winning horse has been as short as him for 100 years. But Elliott and connections will fancy their chances of defying all of that.
