The Grand National is just a few days away, and the jump racing spectacle at Aintree, which features the top jumpers and stayers from across the world, is gaining global interest. Here’s our Grand National betting tips 2022 along with some picks in other Aintree Festival races this week which gets underway on Thursday.
The Randox Grand National begins on April 9th with a scheduled start time of 5.15pm, with horses navigating a 4m 2f course with a total of 30 obstacles, including the water jump, chair, canal turn and open ditch fences.
- Date: Saturday, 9 April, 2022
- Start Time: 5.15pm, BST
- Venue: Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool
- TV: Live on ITV Sport
Enjoy D’Allen (14/1 William Hill)
Trainer: Ciaran Murphy| Jockey: Conor Orr | Age – 8
Third in the Irish National last year when a staying on fifth, Aintree has presumably been high on the target list since and he’s had the ideal preparation, with an excellent third in the Paddy Power Chase considering he was hampered mid-race, before an eye-catching fifth over hurdles at the Dublin Racing Festival, both times showing excellent stamina late on.
Snapped up by JP McManus just over a month ago – never a bad sign given his record in the race – a mark of 148 (a rise of just 6lbs from his Irish National third and 3lbs from his Paddy Power Chase effort) looks very fair and a racing weight of 10-11 ought to be ideal for him. With the ground not an issue regardless of how much rain falls, with a clear run few are likely to be finishing more strongly and he makes the most appeal of those from the top of the Grand National 2022 betting market.
Enjoy D’Allen to win – 14/1 at William Hill
Burrows Saint (22/1 William Hill)
Trainer: Willie Mullins | Jockey: Paul Townend | Age – 9
Gave an exhibition on jumping and travelling last year, having moved best of all into the race as the field swallowed up the front runner Jett, approaching the bridle heading to the second last before the tank emptied.
He’s been aimed at the race again, with a promising run behind Al Boum Photo on New Year’s Day, but he comes here after a very poor run in the Bobbyjo Chase, when he emptied and was beaten over 42 lengths.
That run is off-putting, but otherwise he’s shown his aptitude for the Aintree test and there’s no doubting that it’s an advantage to run off the very same mark here as he did last year, making him better handicapped than most with course experience under his belt.
Burrows Saint to win – 22/1 at William Hill
Delta Work (8/1 Betfair Sportsbook) Saver bet
Trainer: Gordon Elliott | Jockey: Jack Kennedy | Age – 9
Tiger Roll pulled off the extraordinary feat of going back-to-back in this race after victories in the Cross Country at Cheltenham, and his conqueror this year – Delta Work – can go very close to doing the same here.
The villain of the hour at Cheltenham, when he just got the better of Tiger Roll in the Cross Country up the straight, Delta Work has been a long-time campaigner at Grade 1 level, disappointing slightly in his last two runs but finishing a creditable third in the Irish Gold Cup last February.
Recent changes to the race have attracted a higher class of horse, with former Grade 1 winner Neptune Collonges and Hennessy winner Many Clouds winning the race in the last ten years, whilst Tiger Roll became the third horse to carry over 11 stone to victory, and Delta Work is a similarly classy type who has the tactical pace needed to get a handy position in the modern national, and – as shown by his cross country win – stamina to stay at least 3m6f.
All ground would appear to come alike to him and it’d be no surprise to see him make a massive bid to give Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown yet another National winner.
Delta Work to win – 8/1 at Betfair Sportsbook
Grand National Meeting 2022 – Other Races
War Lord (Manifesto Novices’ Chase, Thursday)
Start the meeting in great style with a bet on War Lord in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase. Seventh at this meeting last year in a handicap hurdle, he’s proven to be a much better chaser than hurdler (peak rating 136 over hurdles,149 as a chaser) and his only two defeats over fences have come in Grade 1 races, with a wide margin second in the Henry VII Novices’ Chase and a creditable fourth in the Arkle at the Festival.
On both occasions he finished well and he probably achieved more in the Arkle when fourth than any other horse in the field this season, and if he overcomes the short turnaround between Cheltenham and Aintree this year, then he ought to take a lot of beating.
War Lord to win – 11/4 at bet365*
Gaelik Coast (Topham Chase, Friday)
Donald McCain is launching a strong challenge at this year’s National meeting and one of his more underrated chances could come in the shape of Gaelik Coast in this year’s Topham Chase.
A 20/1 shot for the Red Rum Handicap Chase last year, he was outrunning his price before making a Horlicks of the third last and losing a shoe in the process. He’s improved his jumping since and has run well on all but one occasion, when he slipped up going to the first at Newbury in November.
After losing his left fore at Musselburgh – when a weak finish may have inspired a wind operation soon afterwards – he ran well on his first run since when fourth on New Year’s Day in a Grade 3 handicap chase at Cheltenham. That form reads well in this contest, as the winner had finished second to My Drogo earlier and was considered well handicapped off 133, second Galahad Quest ran well in the Coral Trophy over 3 miles next time out, and Spiritofthegames was then third at the Cheltenham Festival in the Plate.
If repeating that effort again – and keeping tabs with the leaders through the race – Gaelik Coast could be an each-way player.
Fakir D’oudairies (Mildmay Chase, Friday)
A wide margin winner of this last year finding Allaho too strong in the Ryanair Chase (to put it politely), Fakir D’Oudairies arrives here a fresher horse and ought to take all the beating in his bid to follow up.
There are no prizes for guessing this one, but his claims look rock solid. Having returned with a wide margin win at Clonmel, he’d finished behind Allaho twice since – first in the John Durkan at Punchestown and then in the Horse and Jockey Hotel Chase – and afterwards he showed class and guts to take the Ascot Chase when holding off Two For Gold and Fanion D’Estruval, having been at the forefront of a strongly run race on soft ground.
With that in mind, avoiding the Ryanair this year could pay off and he should take a huge amount of beating.
Fakir D’oudairies to win – 8/1 at bet365*
* Horse racing odds correct at the time of publication. All Grand National odds subject to change.
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