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Tiger Roll may be heading to Aintree after all next month

Tiger Roll set to appear at the 2021 Grand National meeting

 

Having triumphed in spectacular fashion in the Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival yesterday, it looks as though Tiger Roll may be heading to the 2021 Grand National meeting after all. The owners of the two-time Grand National winner have raised the possibility that the 11-year-old may make an appearance in the Betway Bowl at the three-day meeting next month.

The diminutive runner produced a spectacular display when winning the Cross Country for a record third time at Prestbury Park although while in previous years he had gone on to win the Grand National, his owners Gigginstown House Stud decided to withdraw his entry from this year’s Aintree spectacular following the alleged unfair weight allocation.

 

Tiger Roll won the Cross Country (Glenfarclas) Chase by 18 lengths yesterday

 

Nevertheless by easily beating last year’s Cross Country Chase winner Easysland by some eighteen lengths on Day Two of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, Tiger Roll proved beyond doubt that at eleven years old he can still produce the goods and he may well get a chance to prove his mettle in his first ever Grade One chase.

Racing manager for Gigginstown, Eddie O’Leary, said:

“He seemed to jump off with a big smile on his face and as the race went on, he seemed to get better and better.

“Without getting too mad about him, I don’t think there’s been too many like him. Before this race came along, he kind of chucked racing. It was an amazing training performance by Gordon to get him back, and an amazing training performance by all at Cullentra to get him there yesterday in that kind of shape.

“Because he is what he is there are no races for him, and because of the famous handicap mark he has, there are no opportunities to get it down. He doesn’t really run on (conventional) tracks.

“We’ve absolutely no regrets about taking him out of the National as his rating is just too high. We’re probably going to have to run him at a park track, we’re even considering the Betway Bowl at Aintree.

“The way the horse won yesterday, retirement is off the table – he’s loving life and while he is we’ll listen to him.

“He’ll probably go for the Bowl and unfortunately he’ll prove he’s not that (166 rated), unless he is and then he’ll prove us all completely wrong.

“The Tiger we saw yesterday, you’d have to give him 10 out of 10, which is a testament to all at Cullentra.”