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Tiger Roll given top weight for 2020 Randox Health Grand National

Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll has been given 11st 10lb alongside Gigginstown stablemate Delta Work in the 2020 Randox Health Grand National.

The ten-year-old hasn’t been run since the 2019 Grand National and owner Michael O’Leary has hinted that he might not make an appearance at the 2020 renewal if he believes that the BHA handicapper is considered to have treated the horse unfairly. Many believe that the O’Leary’s won’t be turning down the opportunity to make history however and all eyes will be on his performance at the Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Sunday.

Next horse in the weights is Bristol De Mai with 11st 8lb, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies. Other leading contenders include JP McManus’s Kimberlite Candy (10st 4lb) – winner of Warwick’s Classic Chase – and Willie Mullins-trained Burrows Saint (10st 10lb) – winner of the Irish National.

Official handicapper Martin Greenwood said: “I have made Tiger Roll and Delta Work joint top-weights for the Randox Health Grand National.

“This decision was made essentially on two factors – historical compression which was brought in by (Liverpool-born) Phil Smith and has been used for the last 10 years or so. On the other hand, I have to give Tiger Roll this mark based on his efforts over the national fences at Aintree where he is of course unbeaten.

“Tiger Roll was rated 172 at the end of last year and obviously there is no recent evidence to go on because of his fitness issues, so his handicap mark has been unquantifiable since. He is therefore coming down 2lb and carries the same weight as Suny Bay did when he was second in the 1998 Grand National. No other horse has carried that rating since. Many Clouds won off 11st 9lb, but he did not have as high a rating.

“It must be remembered that Tiger Roll ran in the race off a rating of 159 but was actually rated 167 at the time due to his win in the Cross Country at Cheltenham.

“Tiger Roll has also not yet qualified for this year’s Grand National. Whilst he may run in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan (Sunday, 14 February), he still has to run in a chase to qualify. There are about 15 horses overall who currently do not qualify because they have either not run over fences this season or not yet finished in the first four in a race over 23 and a half furlongs in their career. A high-profile example would be Cadmium, a Topham Chase winner.

“Delta Work is a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup contender and, in order to keep as many of the horses in the handicap, he is also off 170. Other horses towards the top include Bristol de Mai and Native River. Bristol de Mai was rated 173 when entered last year and that figure has been downgraded since to 168. I have dropped Native River 2lb to 166 as Bristol De Mai has finished in front of him the last couple of times they have met, and I thought he was workmanlike when winning at Newbury on Saturday.

“This year, 73% of the horses entered are in the handicap. Similarly, from a starting rating of 140, there are more horses than ever in the modern era entered for the race – 92 in total.

“The race is full of top-class individuals and boasts the winners of races such as the Grand National, Irish National, Welsh National, Rowland Meyrick Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup and much more. It is as good a staying handicap as would be run anywhere.

“You could argue that it is the highest quality Grand National in modern history.”

 

 

2020 Randox Health Grand National Weights

 

 

The list is in order: horse, age, weight, owner, trainer

Delta Work (FR) 7 11-10 170 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliot IRE

Tiger Roll (IRE) 10 11-10 170 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliot IRE

Bristol de Mai (FR) 10 11-10 170 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, Nigel Twiston-Davies

Native River (IRE) 10 11-06 166 Brocade Racing, Colin Tizzard

Anibale Fly (FR) 10 11-02 162 JP McManus, Tony Martin IRE

Aso (FR) 10 11-02 162 The Bellamy Partnership, Venetia Williams

Cadmium (FR) 8 11-02 162 In Our Element Syndicate, Willie Mullins IRE

Elegant Escape (IRE) 8 11-02 162 JP Romans, Colin Tizzard

Top Ville Ben (IRE) 11-02 162 Harbour Rose Partnership, Philip Kirby

Beware The Bear (IRE) 10 11-00 160 GB Barlow, Nicky Henderson

Chris’s Dream (IRE) 8 11-00 160 Robcour, Henry de Bromhead IRE

Alpha des Obeaux (FR) 10-13 159 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliot IRE

Jett (IRE) 9 10-13 159 GM McGrath, Jessica Harrington IRE

Peregrine Run (IRE) 10 10-13 159 V Byrne, Peter Fahey IRE

Total Recall (IRE) 11 10-13 159 Slaneyville Syndicate, Willie Mullins IRE

Magic of Light (IRE) 9 10-12 158 Ann & Alan Potts Limited, Jessica Harrington IRE

The Storyteller (IRE) 9 10-12 158 Mrs Pat Sloan, Gordon Elliott IRE

Voix du Reve (FR) 8 10-12 158 Andrea & Graham Wylie, Willie Mullins IRE

Ballyoptic (IRE) 10 10-11 157 Mills & Mason Partnership, Nigel Twiston-Davies

Talkischeap (IRE) 8 10-11 157 Charles Dingwall, Alan King

Yala Enki (FR) 10 10-11 157 Hills of Ledbury Ltd, Paul Nicholls

Burrows Saint (FR) 7 10-10 156 Susannah Ricci, Willie Mullins IRE

Definitly Red (IRE) 11 10-10 156 Phil & Julie Martin, Brian Ellison

Ok Corral (IRE) 10 10-09 155 JP McManus, Nicky Henderson

Sub Lieutenant (IRE) 11 10-09 155 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliot IRE

Tour Est Permis (FR) 7 10-09 155 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliot IRE

Crievehill (IRE) 8 10-08 154 Highclere T’Bred Racing- Crievehill, Nigel Twiston-Davies

Jury Duty (IRE) 9 10-08 154 Sideways Syndicate, Gordon Elliot IRE

Lake View Lad (IRE) 10 10-08 154 Trevor Hemmings, Nick Alexander

Vintage Clouds (IRE) 10 10-08 154 Trevor Hemmings, Sue Smith

Pleasant Company (IRE) 12 10-07 153 Malcolm Denmark, Willie Mullins IRE

Acapella Bourgeois (FR) 10 10-06 152 Slaneyville Syndicate, Willie Mullins IRE

Any Second Now (IRE) 8 10-06 152 J P McManus, Ted Walsh IRE

Champagne Classic (IRE) 8 10.06 152 Gigginstown House Stude, Gordon Elliott IRE

Mister Whitaker (IRE) 9 10-06 152 Tim Radford, Mick Channon 

Potters Corner (IRE) 10 10-06 152 All Stars Sports Racing & J Davies, Christian Williams

Shattered Love (IRE) 9 10-06 152 Gigginstown House Stude, Gordon Elliott IRE 

Death Duty (IRE) 9 10-05 151 Gigginstown House Stude, Gordon Elliott IRE

Dounikos (FR) 9 10-05 151 Gigginstown House Stude, Gordon Elliott IRE

Kildisart (IRE) 8 10-05 151 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, Ben Pauling

Ramses de Teillee (FR) 8 10-05 151 John White & Anne Underhill, David Pipe

Acting Lass (IRE) 9 10-04 150 Nigel & Barbara Collinson, Harry Fry

Double Shuffle (IRE) 10 10-04 150 Crossed Fingers Partnership, Tom George

Kimberlite Candy (IRE) 8 10-04 150 J P McManus, Tom Lacey

Saint Xavier (FR) 8 10-04 150 David Maxwell Racing Limited, Paul Nicholls

Valtor (FR) 11 10-04 150 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, Nicky Henderson

Walk in the Mill (FR) 10 10-04 150 Baroness Harding, Robert Walford

Warriors Tale 11 10-04 150 Trevor Hemmings, Paul Nicholls

Chef des Obeaux (FR) 8 10-03 149 Sullivan Bloodstockj Limited, Willie Mullins IRE

Class Conti (FR) 8 10-03 149 P Joubert, Willie Mullins IRE

Traffic Fluide (FR) 10 10-03 149 Galloping on the South Downs, Gary Moore

One For Arthur (IRE) 11 10-02 148 Two Gold Widows, Lucinda Russell

Romain de Senam (FR) 8 10-02 148 Chris Giles & Dan Macdonald, Paul Nicholls

Snugsborough Benny (IRE) 10 10-02 148 R Loughnane, Liam Cusack IRE

Dallas des Pictons (FR) 7 10-01 147 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott IRE

Give me Copper (IRE) 10 10-01 147 Done, Ferguson, Mason, Nicholls & Wood, Paul Nicholls

Lord du Mesnil (FR) 7 10-01 147 Paul Porter, Richard Hobson

Now McGinty (IRE) 9 10-01 147 The Garratt Family, Stuart Edmunds

Poker Party (FR) 8 10-01 147 Robcour, Henry de Bromhead IRE

Steely Addition (IRE) 8 10-01 147 Step By Step, Philip Hobbs

Takingrisks (IRE) 11 10-01 147 Frank Bird, Nicky Richards

Borice (FR) 9 10-00 146 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede, Gordon Elliott IRE

Heron Heights (IRE) 11 10-00 146 Barry Maloney, Henry de Bromhead IRE

Hogan’s Height (IRE) 9 10-00 146 Foxtrot Racing: Hogan’s Height, Jamie Snowden

Regal Encore (IRE) 12 10-00 146 J P McManus, Anthony Honeyball

Activial (FR) 10 9-13 145 Roger Brookhouse, Tom George

Atlanta Ablaze 9 9-13 145 The Last Man Standing, Henry Daly

Cabaret Queen 8 9-13 145 SyndicatesRacing, Willie Mullins IRE

Dalko Moriviere (FR) 7 9-13 145 Ecurie Sagara, Jerome Larrigade FR

Dragon d’Estruval (FR) 7 9-13 145 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, Nicky Henderson

Le Breuil (FR) 8 9-13 145 Mrs Emma Palmer, Ben Pauling

Outlander (IRE) 12 9-13 145 GOWING’S ELEVEN, Richard Spencer

A Toi Phil (FR) 10 9-12 144 Teme Valley 2, Gary Moore

Cogry 11 9-12 144 Graham and Alison Jelley, Nigel Twiston-Davies

Dingo Dollar (IRE) 8 9-12 144 M Warren J Holmes R Kidner & J Wright, Alan King

The Hollow Ginge (IRE) 7 9-12 144 The Ginge Army, Nigel Twiston-Davies

The Young Master 11 9-12 144 Mike Burbidge & The Old Masters, Neil Mulholland

Mall Dini (IRE) 10 9-11 143 Philip J Reynolds, Patrick Kelly IRE

Monbeg Notorious (IRE) 9 9-11 143 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott IRE

As de Mee (FR) 10 9-10 142 The Stewart Family & Judi Dench, Paul Nicholls

Fitzhenry (IRE) 8 9-10 142 J P McManus, Paul Nolan IRE

Joe Farrell (IRE) 11 9-10 142 M Sherwood, N Morris & J Turner, Rebecca Curtis

Ravenhill (IRE) 10 9-10 142 Try Ravenhill Syndicate, Gordon Elliott IRE

Roaring Bull (IRE) 7 9-10 142 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott IRE

Townshend (GER) 9 9-10 142 J D Neild, Nigel Twiston-Davies

Vieux Lion Rouge (FR) 11 9-10 142 Prof Caroline Tisdall & John Gent, David Pipe

Ami Desbois (FR) 10 9-09 141 The Reserved Judgement Partnership, Graeme McPherson

Missed Approach (IRE) 10 9-09 141 Alan & Andrew Turner, Warren Greatrex

Moonshine Bay (IRE) 7 9-08 140 Ann & Alan Potts Limited, Jessica Harrington IRE

Noble Endeavor (IRE) 11 9-08 140 Chris Jones, Gordon Elliott IRE

Out Sam 11 9-08 140 D Charlesworth, Gordon Elliott IRE

Fingerontheswitch (IRE) 10 9-07 139 Cahill, Atwell & Crofts, Neil Mulholland

Singlefarmpayment 10 9-07 139 N T Griffith & H M Haddock, Tom George

Kilfilum Cross (IRE) 9 9-06 138 Andy Bell & Fergus Lyons, Henry Oliver

Soupy Soups (IRE) 9 9-06 138 Equi ex Incertis Partners, Neil Mulholland

General Principle (IRE) 11 9-05 137 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott IRE

Spider Web (IRE) 9 9-05 137 J P McManus, Tom Mullins IRE

Princeton Royale (IRE) 11 9-03 135 D Nott, P Beadles, R Clarke, Neil King

Scoir Mear (IRE) 10 8-12 130 J P McManus, Tom Mullins IRE

Rathlin Rose (IRE) 12 8-10 128 Fergus Wilson, David Pipe 

Disco d’Authie (FR) 11 8-07 125 Mme Magalen Bryant, David Cottin FR

Prince of Scars (IRE) 10 8-07 125 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede, Gordon Elliott IRE