Aintree rain will certainly suit two runners in Grand National
Published:Ground conditions at Aintree have become soft after some recent heavy rain and should this continue, West End Rocker and Giles Cross may become the best bets to win the Grand National.
West End Rocker has shortened from 20/1 to 14/1 in the Grand National odds in the past week and should thrive on a soft surface.
Aintree clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch has stated that 11mm of rain has already fallen and the cold temperatures are preventing moisture leaving the ground.
With weather forecasts predicting rain until at least Wednesday, it is hard to foresee conditions returning to ‘good’ before race day.
Trainer Alan King had already expressed a desire for rain and believed West End Rocker would perform best on a surface racing the easy side of good.
As well as having ground conditions to suit, West End Rocker has proven form at Aintree when winning the Becher Chase over the National fences earlier this season.
There is the argument that too much rain would make the ground false, as a bog would throw all previous form out of the window and especially negatively impact the classier horses.
One horse that would almost certainly not mind a bog is Giles Cross, who has stamina in abundance.
No horse will be carrying less than the 10st of Giles Cross in the Grand National, which could be vital if conditions become ultra stamina sapping.
Furthermore, his front-running style will prevent him encountering trouble in-running and he has already triumphed in the Grand National Trial at Haydock this season.
He has additionally finished among the places in numerous races over marathon trips in the past two seasons, including the Midlands National, Welsh National and the Eidar Handicap Chase, which are all over distances close to 4m.
