Grand National 2018: Aintree officials expect ground to stay soft at best for three-day Festival
Aintree officials have indicated that conditions are likely to remain soft at best for the three-day Grand National Festival, which starts on Thursday.
Heavy rain earlier in the week and a shortage of spring sunshine left the going soft on the National course and good to soft on Aintree’s other two courses on Wednesday.
The ground could yet become heavy in the event of further rainfall, with drizzle forecast for the opening morning of the Festival and further showers anticipated in the lead-up to Saturday’s showpiece race.
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Possible energy-sapping conditions have already influenced the National betting market, with punters backing Baie Des Iles, who has form on soft ground and over long distance, in from 66/1 last week to 16/1 on Tuesday.
“The National course is a bit soft, and the Mildmay and hurdles courses are good to soft, soft and soft, good to soft,” said clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch.
“It’s still a bit soggy down at the Canal Turn. That’s always the wettest bit on the course. It should be mainly dry on Thursday, just overcast and cloudy all the way through, with some drizzle in the morning.
“The forecast hasn’t changed much: drizzle overnight and Thursday into Friday, with possible showers on Friday and Saturday, but being showers we may miss one and we might get one.”
Katie Walsh, who was third in the National when riding Seabass in 2012, is due to pilot Baie Des Iles as she bids to become the first woman to win racing’s biggest event.
Her attempt is lent further intrigue by the fact that seven-year-old grey Baie Des Iles is trained by her husband Ross O’Sullivan.
Walsh is one of three female jockeys set to line up on Saturday afternoon. Bryony Frost is due to ride 33/1 chance Milansbar, while Rachael Blackmore is booked on Alpha Des Obeaux, available at 40/1.
The 40-horse line-up will be finalised on Thursday morning, ahead of the festival’s first day, the highlight of which is the Betway Bowl.