Grand National: Seabass on course for favourite

ON HIS Own may be out on his own as favourite for the John Smith’s Grand National, but bookmakers William Hill are predicting by the time the 40 runners line up at 4.15 for the big race at Aintree, the general public will have made Seabass the market leader.

Having run such an eye-catching race to finish third last year, when he was sent off 8-1 joint-favourite, the public are expected get behind jockey Katie Walsh and Seabass again this weekend.

On His Own, due to be ridden by Katie’s brother, Ruby, is currently the 7-1 favourite, with Seabass 10-1 second favourite, but the tables could well turn.

William Hill spokesman Richard Thomas explained: “The Grand National betting market is unique in that it can defy all form and trading logic with the public bets holding sway over the expert opinion. Past history shows that the horse who is the ante-post market doesn’t always go off favourite.

“In 2007 nobody could have predicted that Monkerhostin would have gone off favourite – he was 33-1 on the morning of the race, whilst in 2010, AP McCoy’s Don’t Push It was supported from 20-1 into 10-1 in the minutes before the off. And 12 months ago, Seabass was a late gamble on the course, eventually starting as one of the joint favourites at 8-1.

“The betting market of the Grand National can be very volatile, and although On His Own is our clear market leader in the outright betting, we think that there is every chance that Seabass will start favourite for the big race.

“He was heavily backed last year, and ran a stormer to be third, and with Katie Walsh certain to dominate the media on Saturday, the name Seabass will be on hundreds of thousands of betting slips, and this could well be enough to move the market on the day of the race.”

The Aintree management has made several changes to this year’s race in an attempt to make it safer after it came under attack from animal welfare groups and Katie Walsh has launched a staunch defence of the race.

Walsh, 28, told the Radio Times: “Any changes that make it safer are a good thing, but I hope they leave it at this and don’t change anything else. I hope to God there are no accidents this year, but these things happen, and they are horses at the end of the day. I don’t mean that in a cruel way, but to see (fellow jockey) John Thomas McNamara get a horrible fall at Cheltenham... for the minute he’s gone from the neck down, and that’s a different deal altogether in my eyes.”

Walsh said that those who criticise racing as a cruel sport do not understand it, telling the magazine: “Anyone who gets up on Christmas Day and mucks out loves animals. Sure, it’s a dangerous sport, but every night, all over the world, a lot of horses are left out in fields starving. These horses are so well looked after. Better than some children, to be honest with you.

“I don’t read the criticism because it’s not worth it. And at the end of the day it would be a lot worse if it had been two jockeys who lost their lives. I think everyone should remember that.”