Grand National Free Bets

Cheltenham winner MENORAH should be a tough cookie to crack despite the emphasis on speed; Escort'men and Washington Irving could be his biggest dangers.

Phillip Hobbs' gelding upset the Dunguib-pulled applecart when winning the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last month. He battled on well under a terrific Richard Johnson ride and as long as the race hasn't left too much of a mark on him then he must go close, especially as he has already won around speed-orientated tracks. Dan Breen was well-held behind him on that occasion but may find this flatter track more to his liking and is not discarded, along with General Miller who got no further than the first flight. He is a solid novice although the feeling is that he needs further. Captive Audience won easily on his hurdling bow at Ffos Las but now steps up markedly in grade. The yard have had some good horses over from Ireland and this fellow looks no exception. This track should favour Inventor who was classy on the flat, whilst Washington Irving should appreciate this better ground and shorter trip having been bogged down on his last two outings. Escort'men was very impressive when winning at Kempton in February and he looks a very interesting contender for a yard with a good measure on how the juvenile form is stacking up, although this will be the quickest ground that he has faced. It's also the toughest opposition that he has encountered, so along with the solid mare La Sarrazine, they are both passed over in favour of Menorah.
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