In the 2011 renewal Tatenen popped up as a relatively unconsidered outsider at odds of 22/1, slamming a decent field by 16-lengths and giving a fine display of front-running having taken up the running at halfway. In 2012, racing off a 7lb higher mark and coming into the race off a fair effort when seventh to Quantitativeasing in the Grade 3 Spinal Injuries the Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December, Thornton’s mount again took up the running some way from home and after kicking clear at the fourth last came back to his field at the second from home and was headed by David Pipe’s I’msingintheblues. Those following the best ante-post horse racing betting online will have been impressed.

Determined not to go down without a fight, Tatenen rallied going to the final fence and in a ding-dong battle on the run-in eventually forged to the front in the last couple of strides to score from the brave runner-up by a head. There was a sting in the tail for both Thornton and Conor O’Farrell, rider of the runner-up, who both received five-day bans for excessive use of the whip.

Plans are now afoot for Tatenen to have a crack at the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 14, the Mildmay track at the Liverpool circuit having been a happy hunting ground for the horse in previous seasons, winning a listed novice chase there in October 2008 then running a massive race in finishing an eight-length second to Kalahari King in the Grade 1 Maghull Chase at the track a year later. If he takes to the giant spruce fences Tatenen, (a horse with more than a touch of class), could be an interesting outsider.

The Willie Mullins-trained 11-year old finished sixth in the big race in 2011 after going off at the top of the market at 15/2, following a strong gamble on the Ruby Walsh ridden runner.

The Midnight Club was one of only 19 runners to complete the course in a controversial race where two fences were omitted for the first time in history.

Last season’s experience over the big obstacles will certainly have benefited Mullins’ horse and he is likely to have support once again if two-time winner of the race Walsh opts to ride the mount once again. Those looking for Grand National free bets will be keeping an eye on his decision.

The Midnight Club has had two runs so far this season. He started his campaign back in December at Leopardstown over hurdles but was unfortunate to be brought down during that race when going well.

His second run this season was also in Ireland at Tramore where there were a smaller field of six runners in a Listed Race over fences. The Midnight Club finished fourth in the race won Art Approach over 2m5f.

Five out of the first six home in last year’s Grand National are likely to run again in April. The only exception is 2010 winner Don’t Push It who retired earlier this month after not impressing back at home.

Ballabriggs is aiming to become the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back races, whilst the connections of last year’s second Oscar Time will be hoping to go one better than 12 months ago under amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.

The David Pipe-trained runner is well fancied for the big race at Aintree and will be looking to give Pipe his second success in the 4m4f steeplechase after Comply or Die’s victory in 2008.

Junior proved his adaptability when winning the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting. He then went on to complete an extraordinary double by winning the Kim Muir by 24 lengths after one of the biggest gambles of the 2011 Cheltenham Festival.

The Grand National trial at Haydock on February 18 is a possibility for the nine-year-old’s next appearance, after which connections will have to decide his next path. Anyone following the Grand National betting should keep an eye on his efforts.

If Junior does skip the race at the Lancashire track, he could run in the Grimthrope Chase at Doncaster, which would arrive after the weights for the Grand National are revealed.

The Middleham Park Racing LI-owned horse does have an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, however, their racing manager Tim Palin has admitted that it would be unlikely that Junior would go to the festival this year.

“We gave him the Gold Cup entry mainly in case something happens to one or both of the big two,” he said. “If that were to happen, the race would obviously be thrown wide open.

Pipe would go into the blue riband event double-handed if Junior was to run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Novice chaser Grand Crus could provide his best chance in the race if they skip the RSA Chase and go for the big prize at the festival.

The Irish Grand National is one of the great National Hunt chases in the racing calendar. Held annually on Easter Monday at the Fairytown racecourse, in County Meath, Republic of Ireland, it was first run in 1870 when inaugural winner, Sir Robert Peel, picked up the grand prize of 167 guineas. Last year’s winner, by comparison, took home prize money of over £120,000.

Since 1870, the race has been staged over the marathon distance of 3 miles and 5 furlongs (3 miles and 4 furlongs prior to 1991), or 5,834 meters, with only two exceptions. The 23-fence race was cancelled in 1919 and 1941 due to the small matter of the two World Wars.

The race is open only to horses aged five years or older, but the majority of winners have been aged between 7 and 11. Prior to Organisedconfusions win in the 2011 race, at 6 years old, the last winner who was under seven years old was back in 1985, when legendary chaser Rhyme ‘n’ Reason romped home. Last year’s winner also made history for being ridden by Nina Carberry, the first female jockey to take the title, and only second in the race’s history, since Ann Ferris in 1984. Her winning ride made such an impact that she went on to claim the Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year title off the back of her victory.

Carberry’s name was added to an impressive roll of honour. As well as Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, such legendary horses as Arkle and Desert Orchid, in 1964 and 1990 respectively, have won at Fairytown. Also, while Red Rum was winning the English Grand National three times in the mid-to-late 1970s, it was Brown Lad making history in County Meath. This record-breaking ride picked up three wins in 1975, 1976 and 1978. The race’s leading jockey is Pat Taaffe, who won six times in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, the all-time leading trainer is Tom Dreaper, whose ten wins from 1942 to 1966 included a spectacular seven-in-a-row in the early 1960s – with Taaffe in the saddle for three of those seven! The winning blood is obviously strong in the Dreaper family, with Tom’s son Jim training four winners himself in the 1970s, including all of Brown Lad’s victories. Two of those historic victories saw Nina Carberry’s father Tommy riding the winner.

It is still a rare achievement for an Irish Grand National winner to go on to achieve victory in the Aintree Grand National. The feat has still never been achieved in the same racing year. The first to complete the double was the 1904 Irish winner, Ascetic’s Silver, who won the English National in 1906. The achievement has since been completed just other three times in the 140 runnings of the race, by Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde.

For some people April may seem months away but for others it is just right around the corner. That is right. It is time to get ready for the 2012 Grand National. This horse race is a most exciting time for horse lovers and race fans both. There are three days of fun and exciting things to do. From women and children to the racers themselves there is something for everyone. It holds appeal too many people and now is the time to purchase your tickets for the anticipated three day event in April.

The first Grand National Championship was held in 1839. It was one by a horse named Lottery. It is now a three day event starting with Liverpool Day on April 12, Ladies Day on April 13, and Grand National Day on April 14. These three days are full of music, fashion, racing, and fun. The race itself is the highest quality of jump racing in the UK. Forty horses will line up and jump 30 fences in four and a half miles. This is a test of the toughest horses and jockeys in the world. You will find many people betting on their horses each year, whether they study the horses and jockeys and their abilities or whether they just pick names and place bets. It is a great tradition and race to watch and will leave you wanting more.

Liverpool Day is in its third year and provides entertainment off the track for this wonderful event. There are concerts held on this day, parades, and sporting legends have also been known to make an appearance. This year on April 12, 2012, Liverpool Day is supposed to be bigger and better than ever.

For the ladies of the races, Ladies Day will be held on April 13. This second day of the three day entertainment package is going to be more stylish than ever. A flourish of fashion shows, make up samplings and giveaways, and grab bag giveaways are going to make up the best Ladies Day ever held. There will be splashes of color in the Red Rum Garden that will be sure to spice up the excitement.

Last, but certainly not least, there is Grand National Day. It only happens once a year and only lasts approximately fifteen minutes. It is that fifteen minutes that will leave you coming back year after year. If you are simply watching the race on television with millions of other people, or if you are one of the lucky ones that can actually be at the Aintree Racecourse in person, it is an experience you are not likely to forget.

So, everyone mark your calendars. April is not too far away. The three day event is quickly approaching and it is time to prepare. The festivities, the entertainment, and the racing are definitely not something that you want to miss. Tickets for this festive three days went on sale in August. It will be a rush of fun and flash for these memorable few days. It is not something that you are going to want to miss.

Generally on offer at 33/1 in the ante-post list for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand National, the 10-year-old did little wrong at Kelso in finishing a brave second to the progressive Always Right in the Monteith Memorial Champion Handicap Chase, suggesting there was better to come as he built up towards another tilt at the world’s greatest steeplechase, an event in which he finished a creditable 9th behind Ballabriggs in this year’s renewal. The ante-post Grand National betting suggested he would be in with a shout this year.

On the strength of his seasonal reappearance run Richards had been keen to send the gelded son of Zaffaran to Ireland over the Christmas period to take his chance in the Grade 1 Lexus Chase, but now all plans are on hold for the horse who has been notoriously difficult to train having had a series of leg problems over the years both with Richards and with his previous trainer Lennie Lungo.

In all Skippers Brig has won nine of his 19 outings and last season proved himself as good as ever, finishing in mid-division in Leopardstown’s Paddy Power Chase after a year off the track before winning a Pertemps Hurdle Handicap qualifier at Haydock in game fashion under 11st 11lbs. He followed up over fences back at Kelso causing a shock when lowering the colours of hot favourite Ballabriggs, a performance that won him plenty of admirers and saw him head to Aintree as a genuine candidate for honours. He raced prominently in the big race itself, being right of the heels of the leaders until hampered by a faller at the fourth last, after which he eventually faded to finish out of the money.

There is always plenty of focus on Irish horses and trainers at the Cheltenham Festival and having put some of the trainers under the microscope it quickly became clear that leading Irish trainer Noel Meade has a very disappointing Festival record.

Going back as far as 1997 he has had just three winners from 116 runners, a strike-rate of just 2.59% which even given the strength of depth of the Cheltenham races is a disappointing return. In fact if you had backed all of the Meade runners in that time span to a £1 level stake you would have ended up losing £78.50 to the returned SP. That return is especially disappointing if you consider the quality within the Meade string.

If you look at the Meade record in the run-up to the Cheltenham Festival and especially pre-Christmas it shows that he has a good record, in the past four years he exhibited a 20% strike-rate before the turn of the year. So it’s possible that he targets the early part of the year aiming to have his horses fit and healthy for early season strikes. Where he struggles though is maintaining that sharpness throughout the season. The perfect example of a Meade horse is probably Go Native, who incidentally is one of his three Festival winners since 1997. Favourite in the Champion Hurdle betting last year, Go Native arrived at the Festival on the back of two career-best performances when winning the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle, only to disappoint totally when finishing 10th in the big race.

Meade’s post-Christmas record has always been poor and we always use this as a barometer for his Cheltenham chances, so when he recorded 6 winners from 38 runners in January it looked as though he could have turned the corner. However, February has not brought a success so far from seven runners and we would still be treading very warily with Noel Meade’s Festival runners. Breaking down his figures further it’s notable that all of his winners have come in the novice races and we would treat all of his handicap contenders with extreme caution – the overall record is 0/40, with just four of those 40 making the frame. Anyone with even the vaguest interest in sports betting will know this shows he’s one to avoid.

Monitor his runners closely in the remaining days to the Festival but it looks as though it could be another barren Festival for Noel Meade.

The JCB Triumph Hurdle opens up the closing day of the Cheltenham Festival and is the unofficial Championship race for the juvenile division. The JCB Triumph Hurdle has been one of the most competitive races of The Festival. The 2008 field of 14 was by far the smallest since Connaught Ranger beat 13 rivals in 1978 – the recent introduction of the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle has meant that the JCB Triumph Hurdle now attracts only the very best four-year-olds.

Since the race has been at Cheltenham, there has only once been an odds-on winner of the Triumph Hurdle. This was Attivo, owned by former BBC TV commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan, in 1973 at 4/5, this providing a golden TV/Cheltenham moment as Sir Peter commentated in his usual calm and controlled manner as his own horse gained a memorable victory. The longest-priced winners were Baron Blakeney, Shiny Copper and Ikdam at 66/1 in 1981, 1982 and 1989 – the 80s were tough going for punters in the Triumph Hurdle. Those looking to follow Paul Nicholls Cheltenham tips should remember that he has only managed one winner in this race – Celestial Halo in 2008.

Three horses have gone on from winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle to victory in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle. Persian War won the Triumph in 1967, and reeled off three Champion Hurdles from 1968-70, Kribensis won the Triumph in 1988 and the Champion Hurdle in 1990, while in 2008 Katchit added a Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle victory to his success in the 2007 JCB Triumph Hurdle – the latter becoming the first five year old to win the Champion Hurdle in a very long time. Generally winners of the Trimuph Hurdle take time in finding their feet the following year.

The Triumph Hurdle isn’t quite the cavalry charge that is used to be when field sizes of 25 to 30 were commonplace before the Fred Winter provided an alternative target for juvenile hurdlers in 2005. The quality hasn’t suffered, however, with Katchit, Celestial Halo and Zaynar winning the last three renewals, whilst none of the last four winners started at longer than 11/2.

Nine of the past ten winners of this race had been first past the post in their previous starts) and only eight of these came into this off the back of a win, but that trend continued last year with Soldatino following up his impressive Kempton win. He crept into the race under a patient ride and finally passed the second Barizan when that one made a mistake at the last having run a brave race when trying to lead all the way. The third Alivian paid for trying to chase Barizan from the top of the hill and ended up running out of stamina while the favourite Carlito Brigante made hard work of this and looked a little uneasy on the undulations here.

Nicky Henderson has won the last two runnings of the JCB Triumph Hurdle and his runners should always be on your shortlist – he now has five successes overall in the race. Most horses that have been beaten last time out tend to struggle in this race and if pays to come into the race on the back of a victory. Those looking to bet on Cheltenham action should remember this.

This has become a quality four-year-old hurdle now since the introduction of the Fred Winter and the front four in the betting have won all six runnings of the Triumph since the introduction of that race.

The 11-year old has been out of action with a muscle injury but now O’Neill insists he will be fit in time to run at Aintree. The injury meant he was unable to run at Warwick on January 15th but the man behind the iconic Dawn Run believes the injury will not set him back. He said: “We didn’t think he was quite right last week so we got the back man to him, he tweaked him up and he seems fine again – so onwards and upwards”.

O’Neill will now look to run the Grand National winner at least twice before the big race in April.

“I’d like to get him in to winning ways before we go back (to Aintree) so it’d be nice to try and win a race with him.

If we can get another couple of runs into him he might be able to pick one of them up and back to Aintree here we come.” He commented.

AP McCoy rode Don’t Push it to his first Grand National win last year at his 15th attempt. O’Neill has also confirmed that stablemate’s Can’t Buy Time and Welsh National winner Synchronised, who was ridden by McCoy at that event will be entered into the race. While the race is still over two months away, Don’t Push It is currently the second favourite at 24/1 behind Niche Market in the sports betting markets, although those odds are expected to come in as the race draws nearer.

No hurdles or fences are encountered in the race – the only occasion that happens at the Festival apart from the Charity Race. This race run over 2M ½ F for those aged between four and six has primarily been the preserve of the Irish who set far greater store in winning this than their English counterparts.

The race attracts plenty of different types and occasionally you will spot a well-known flat jockey having a ride in the race – Jamie Spencer won the 2002 event on Pizarro for Edward O’Grady and Pat Smullen better known for his flat exploits took the ride on Hidden Universe last year for Dermot Weld. We mentioned earlier that it is a race that the Irish love to win and so far the score is 14-4 to them in the 18 runnings of the race – with Willie Mullins contributing six winners to that Irish total of 14. What is significant about the Mullins winners is that only one of them was not a once-raced five year old, Missed That bucking the trend in 2005. So if you are thinking of backing a Mullins runner once raced and five years old is generally the way to go from the several runners that he usually has in the race.

Of course statistics don’t give you all the winners and sometimes the statistics are broken as they were last year when we had the first four year old winner since 1995 with Cue Card landing a very impressive win for the Tizzards – trainer Colin and jockey Joe, so not all Cheltenham 2011 bets should be placed on the basis of past stats. That was the fourth English winner in the race – three of those four have been in the four year old group which has not had the best record of the race of late.

One facet of any potential selections make up to consider though is that it has won in a field that at least numbers double figures. This can be a rough and tumble race and it pays to have plenty of experience in order to handle that, 16 of the last 18 winners have already won a bumper which contained 13 or more runners, so those looking at the Cheltenham betting offers should remember this.

There may be no obstacles but the Festival bumper is now established very much as part of the rich fabric of the Cheltenham Festival