There can be no denying that Gordon Elliott will be a happy man following his successes throughout 2018, the Meath-based trainer enjoying plenty of success at last year’s Cheltenham Festival in March and also at the Grand National the following month. Tiger Roll was just one of many stable-stars which shone during what would have been a very profitable start to the year for the Elliott stable and the nine-year-old is being geared up to make a comeback at Aintree this year as he looks to successfully defend his crown.
It appears as though the 2016 Munster National winner will take a different route to Merseyside this year but optimism is high in the stable that he can once again romp home to victory in the world’s greatest steeplechase.
Elliott’s success last year was by no means a ‘flash in the pan’ and he has continued in a similar fashion into the new year with Battleoverdoyen triumphing in a field of eight in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle. With three wins from three, he has been chalked-in as second-favourite to triumph in the Baltimore Novice’s Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
Tiger Roll won three times at the festival and he will likely make a return to Cheltenham in 2019 although this will likely be his first outing the year. Elliott is apparently keen to return the 2018 National winner to hurdles in the spring before he aims to defend his crown at Aintree and many punters are backing the diminutive chaser at a best ante-post price of 25/1 with the leading grand national bookmakers.
Tiger Roll has been priced up as one of the early frontrunners with the Grand National bookmakers for the 2019 Grand National given that he appears to be in excellent health, is a course winner and is a proven stayer. Also prominent in the ante-post betting are Native River, Bellshill and Vintage Clouds.
