All the headlines leading into the 2020 Randox Health Grand National are set to be about Tiger Roll, who is bidding to become the first horse to win the steeplechase three years running.
Gordon Elliott’s stable star tops the betting at 5/1, a position at the head of the ante-post market he has held since winning the race in 2019.
According to the bookmakers, Any Second Now is the horse with the biggest chance of spoiling the party for the majority of racing fans, as he has held consistently strong odds in horse racing betting in the past 12 months
Ted Walsh’s runner became a big contender for the Aintree contest following his victory at Naas last month in a Grade Three contest over 2m. He was too strong for his rivals in the closing stages of that race after going off at 3/1 in the betting.
Any Second Now also came out on top in a big race contest at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival as he won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir. He attempted to follow that up in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse as a 10/1 shot but he fell at the eighth fence.
The eight-year-old has featured 16 times over fences now, so he does not lack any experience going into the highlight of the final month of the season. Walsh resisted any temptation of running his horse at the Cheltenham Festival to ensure his chaser was fresh for the test at Aintree.
Handicapper gives Any Second Now a lenient weight
The weights for the 2020 Grand National were revealed last month, and when Any Second Now was assigned 10st-6lb, he would have almost certainly attracted a lot of support in the betting. That allocation is likely to be one of the lowest in the race this year.
Tiger Roll deserves his place as the ante-post favourite for the marathon contest, however, Any Second Now will have an 18lb advantage on his rival when they line up at the Merseyside track for the 4m2½f contest.
Pineau De Re was the last horse to win off a weight allocation as low as 10st-6lb when he landed the contest in 2014 as a surprise 25/1 winner. 12 months prior to that, it was an even bigger upset when Auroras Encore prevailed off just 10st-3lb as a 66/1 outsider.
Ted Walsh looking for second Grand National win
Irish trainer Walsh knows all about Grand National glory, having won the race in 2000 with Papillon. That victory ranks as the highlight of his career so far and was extra special since the horse was ridden to success by his son Ruby.
Walsh often has entries in the Aintree contest. He came close to another win in 2012 when Seabass was third. His daughter Katie was on board on that occasion. The 8/1 joint-favourite ran an excellent race, finishing third behind Neptune Collonges and Sunnyhillboy respectively.
There are some similarities with Any Second Now and Walsh’s two previous best Grand National finishers. He was successful in the race at Naas, in which Papillon and Seabass both won prior to their big performances at Aintree.
Leading owner McManus hoping for more Aintree success
Owner J.P McManus has invested a lot of money into National Hunt racing and is often rewarded with the leading owner prize at the end of the season.
The Irish businessman has surprisingly won the Grand National just once, with his big day coming 10 years ago when Don’t Push It landed a huge gamble as the 10/1 joint-favourite.
The 2010 winner’s victory will forever be remembered as 20-time Champion jockey Tony McCoy’s sole success in the Grand National. McCoy was the retained jockey of McManus’ for the majority of his career so it was a big moment for both men when their horse came out on top.
McManus has seven horses still entered in the race this year. Kimberlite Candy and Anibale Fly are also both prominent in the betting at 16/1 and 20/1 respectively, while Ok Corral (25/1) and Fitzhenry (50/1) are likely outsiders.
If successful, Any Second Now will continue Ireland’s excellent recent record in the Grand National as they have been responsible for three of the last four winners in the famous steeplechase.
