Grand National 2021 Preview

The big race is here and this weekend we will see 40 runners going to post in a bid to win the Grand National, a race that was absent from the calendar last year.

For those who are not up to speed with the latest news, no Tiger Roll this time around, he is not here to win for the third consecutive year, with connections against running due to his handicap mark.

That means a new name on the trophy and Cloth Cap will be favourite on the day after an impressive win at Kelso last time out in a trial. The weights were decided before that, so he comes here running off a handicap mark which is 14lb lower than what it should be.

Expect him to go off anywhere between 3/1 and 5/1 for the race, a price that won’t really appeal to too many punters though, so many will be looking for alternatives.

Here are our three against him at bigger odds for those looking for a fun alternative and each way selection against the favourite.

Any Second Now

This horse won over 2m last time out, which is hardly a conventional route to the Grand National, but the plan for that race was to sharpen him up and get him running at a faster pace, which he certainly did.

He’s versatile, is one of the quickest horses in this race but has shown his ability to stay a longer trip. He hails from a very shrewd operation, one that knows all about the Grand National and everything this season has been done with this day in mind.

If you are looking for a rock solid each way alternative to the favourite Cloth Cap, this horse could be the one for you.

Definitly Red

A veteran of both this race and top quality handicap racing in general, he comes here for one last shot at the National, and looks to be well over-priced. We last saw him at Kelso when running behind Cloth Cap, but trainer Brian Ellison reported that his horse would come on a lot for that run and get much closer to Cloth Cap next time out.

The longer trip and better ground on Saturday will be a positive for Definitly Red and if you are looking for something at a massive price to follow, this horse certainly has a chance.

Lord Du Mensil

At eight, this horse will have an age advantage over some of his rivals, but has as much experience as them. He’s not a star who will wow you, but regularly runs his race, will love this stamina test and has a good jumping record.

At a big price, if a few of the others underperform or struggle to jump well enough around Aintree then he is exactly the type who could pick up the pieces and get into the places.

Grand National Tips:

• Any Second Now EW @ 10/1
• Definitly Red EW @ 40/1
• Lord Du Mensil EW @ 33/1

All odds with Ladbrokes – EW 1/5 odds 6 places

Can't get enough of the Grand National? Take a read of our Grand National Betting Offers page which lists all the racing offers that will be available on the race, which bookies are NRNB, which offer BOG, the various places terms on offer and plenty more!