Gordon Elliott
is fast becoming a trainer to keep an eye on. The impressive horseman
can boast multiple winners across the UK and Ireland and
his success in the 2018 American Grand National at Far Hills will be
viewed as yet another feather in his cap. This historic
race still attracts a huge audience despite seemingly playing
second fiddle to its UK equivalent and Elliott's recent victory
in the contest may prove to be the catalyst which inspires other
powerful National Hunt operations to send their
charges to the US for this year's renewal.
The County
Meath-based trainer wasn't the only overseas handler to take part in
the 2018 race but it was the Irishman who came out on top,
managing to mastermind a famous victory in the iconic
steeplechase. Elliott teamed up with Robbie Power once again and
the pair celebrated effusively
as
Jury Duty helped them clinch the $450,000 prize purse in New
Jersey on October 20th. Despite his triumph on US soil, the
eight-year-old was swiftly returned to Ireland, while stablemate
Clarcam is likely to stay in the country according to connections.
Although the French-bred star hasn't fared well in his two previous
runs at Saratoga and Belmont Park, Elliott insisted that he'd
prefer the much-travelled nine-year-old to remain on the east
coast and continue his career on the New York circuit.
Gordon Elliott's talented duo were joined by the former-Paul
Nicholls-trained runner Hinterland, who finished fourth in the
contest. New handler Jack Fisher was pleased with the performance but
was disappointed that his charge couldn't build upon a decent
performance in the Lonesome Glory Handicap Hurdle at Belmont Park
back in September. Ben Pauling's Jaleo also made the journey across
the Atlantic but could only finish fifth despite making a very strong
start to the contest. Charlie Longsdon is another trainer who isn't
afraid to explore alternative opportunities for his runners and he
was reportedly feeling confident about Hammersly Lake's chances in
the contest – but he was only able to finish in a disappointing
seventh place.
Last year's race
attracted the strongest-ever contingent of UK and Irish runners to
the track and that is a trend which looks likely to continue going
forward. Jury Duty's success in the contest may just help
inspire other trainers to try their luck in the event.
Jumps racing is
nowhere near as popular stateside with just 11 of 50 states
hosting steeplechasing events on a regular basis. However, with
far less-challenging obstacles and competitive prize pots on
offer, it is ideal for trainers who wish to give their newcomers
a suitable workout. The American Grand National is held in late
October which is a time of the year when many UK and Irish trainers
are gearing up for a busy National Hunt season at home and it's
understandable that many of these astute operators tend to
overlook this opportunity. However, it does appear to be the
perfect chance to raise their profile whilst potentially getting
their hands of a share of the generous prize purse.
Elliott was
planning his assault on the historic steeplechase for a number of
months and after Jury Duty finished third in the Galway Plate,
the trainer immediately sought advice from acquaintances in the USA.
After hearing about the probability of good ground, it seemed like a
no-brainer for the experienced horseman. He also spoke about Jury
Duty's need for a sharper track and Far Hills is one of the
few courses which appeared to match that brief.
The American
Grand National is still reasonably popular amongst sports fans but it
is overshadowed by the UK equivalent which takes place in April at
Aintree Racecourse. Prior to his Far Hills-success, Elliott
had already finished as the top trainer at the 2018 Cheltenham
Festival and had also been victorious in the Randox Health Grand
National for the second time with diminutive chaser Tiger Roll.
Elliott was delighted with his charge, who had also triumphed
in the notoriously-tough Cross Country Chase at Prestbury
Park just a month earlier and the Gigginstown-owned chaser is
likely to return to both tracks in 2019.
The savvy
trainer was also successful in the Irish Grand National on Easter
Monday and was delighted to complete a memorable treble. He's in
unstoppable form and punters are already backing him to continue
where he left off.
Despite sharing
a name with its US counterpart, the UK race is significantly more
taxing. It is contested over the four miles and 514 yards and is an
energy-sapping slog through often-muddy conditions. The fences
may have been lowered in recent years but they still require a huge
amount of skill to negotiate and with forty horses all charging
towards the same obstacles, falls and stumbles are part and parcel of
this hugely entertaining spectacle. It is not uncommon for fewer than
twenty runners to finish the race with many of the participants
tending to pull up half-way around the circuit.
Experienced
National Hunt bettors will often spend hours meticulously
studying the form and ante-post wagers on the contest are also
incredibly popular. Clues can be obtained throughout the National
Hunt season and horses who win impressively in testing contests will
often be well-backed for success in the Aintree showdown. Sizing
Tennessee could be one to
keep
an eye on in 2019 and according to Oddschecker, the Colin
Tizzard charge is one of the most talked about horses for this year's
Grand National following a dominant performance in the Ladbrokes
Trophy at Newbury. His eye-catching ten-length success has
provoked a flurry of wagers and it's Aintree odds have slowly
started to shorten as a result.
In the US,
ante-post wagers are available with some online bookmakers but
the majority of the bets tend to be placed on the day of the
race, especially with American Grand National
attendees
being able to place legal bets for the first time in
2018. Organizers believe that should help boost the profile of
the contest and subsequently attract bigger crowds to New
Jersey over the next five years. The prize money is still
significantly lower than many marquee thoroughbred flat races and
despite the contest being moved between tracks over the last twenty
years, it is still a big deal for steeplechasing enthusiasts and it
is always reasonably well-attended.
Robbie Power
isn't the first overseas jockey to enjoy success in this race
with Ruby Walsh also prevailing two years earlier.
Rawnaq
was victorious for US trainer Cyril Murphy with the Irishman on
board back in 2016. Walsh was a late replacement for injured jockey
Jack Doyle who wasn't able to retain the ride after picking up an
injury at Belmont Park earlier in the season. He guided the talented
steeplechaser to an impressive three-quarter length victory and
he remained in the country for three further rides at the track. It
capped off a superb year for the US trainer who fired in 17 winners
from 53 runners and the versatile Rawnaq also become a household
name as a result.
Increased access
to online streaming has allowed sports fans to enjoy US racing
from the comfort of their own home and many UK enthusiasts have also
become recent converts to the American Steeplechase scene. Gordon
Elliott's success in the 2018 renewal of the race made headlines in
his homeland and many other trainers are likely to have taken note of
the Irishman's triumph. Smaller operations may not have the funds to
send their charges across the Atlantic but a considerable amount of
the UK's most powerful yards may just opt to send their stable
stars down this alternative path in 2019 and as a result, it
should help this iconic contest go from strength-to-strength.
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