The Grand National is less than a month away and one of the early favourites to win the race has been pulled from the list of possible runners. Definitely Red, a horse penciled in by many to be one of the top contenders, will not appear at Aintree after competing in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The horse will run two day earlier at the Betaway Bowl rather than compete in the Grand National.
Definitely Red was a non-finisher at the 2017 Grand National, but betting experts believed the horse could win this year. Following his sixth-place finish in the Gold Cup, trainer Brian Ellison has decided against pushing the horse at Aintree due to the race course ground. Prior to his sixth-place finish in March at Cheltenham, Definitely Red had won his previous two races. His removal from the race will change a number of punters’ plans for the event.
Now that Definitely Red has been pulled from the entrants’ list for the Grand National, which horses are the sportsbooks’ favourites? Sbat has all the latest horse racing odds and news in the lead up to the Grand National 2018.
Grand National 2018 favourites
Blaklion 10/1
Blaklion remains the favourite of sportsbooks as the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained horse looks to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish. The horse is a proven winner and at nine-years old, Blaklion is at the right age to win the race, according to insiders. The experience Blaklion has gained in the last 12 months should help him in this year’s Grand National. In December 2017, Blaklion impressed horse racing experts when he won the Becher Chase. That race is held at Aintree and it features the same National fences. Blaklion will have plenty of familiarity with the course.
Total Recall 11/1
Experienced Irish trainer Willie Mullins’ horse, Total Recall, is currently 11/1 to finish the Grand National as the winner. Total Recall did not run last year’s edition of the race but comes into Aintree this term in peak shape. The horse is also at the age – nine-years old – that most experts identify as the optimal time for a horse to win the Grand National. Total Recall has already won the Munster National and the Ladbrokes Trophy. Mullins now has the horse primed for the big stage of the most famous horse race in Europe.
The Last Samuri 14/1
The Last Samuri finished the Grand National in 16th place a year ago. It was a disappointing end as just 12 months prior, The Last Samuri had finished second at Aintree. Trainer Kim Bailey hopes for a solid performance this year. The Last Samuri has had solid outings this racing season. He finished second in Kempton at the end of 2017 before again coming runner-up at Aintree in the Becher Chase. This could be The Last Samuri’s final shot at the Grand National. His name and previous performances will be enough to interest bettors. The big question will be whether the horse can perform like he did in 2016.
