Punters across the country are desperate to see an AP McCoy victory in his final Grand National of a quite stunning career but will he win on his mount, Shutthefrontdoor?
We don’t think so. We would love to see it happen for McCoy and trainer Jonjo O’Neill but other horses are looking more likely and certainly offer better value.
Shutthefrontdoor is a worthy favourite, make no mistake, and it is not just pure idealism which has seen him thrust towards the summit of the betting.
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But unless you have been shrewd enough to take a chunk of the nice prices on offer a few months ago, he is surely too short in the market for a race of this capricious ferocity.
A little further down the betting, seemingly having gone unnoticed by most ante-post punters, is Balthazar King.
Last year Balthazar King jumped well all the way from a prominent position and stayed on determinedly for second place behind the one-year-older Pineau De Re, beaten just five lengths.
With sentiment forcing the odds of Tony McCoy’s mount Shutthefrontdoor down, form picks Rocky Creek and The Druids Nephew are also better value than they might have been.
As Rocky Creek failed to see out the trip last year, preference is for the Druids Nephew or the King. Druids Nephew looked way ahead of the Rocky Creek and firmly on the upgrade when winning at the Cheltenham Festival.
Night In Milan can also challenge. He should take to Aintree, but may just be high enough in the weights. Of those at bigger prices, Al Co can also get involved if he jumps better than in the Becher in December.
Predicted top five
1) The Druids Nephew
2) Balthazar King
3) Night In Milan
4) Al Co
5) Rocky Creek