Time to tweak Grand National rules to get more quality stayers into the field
Most of us were so preoccupied with the annual hoo-ha surrounding the rating given to two-time winner Tiger Roll that we missed a far more glaring issue with the way the Grand National field is decided.
Luckily, trainer Sandy Thomson – who admittedly has a vested interest with Dingo Dollar and Hill Sixteen – kept his eye on the ball and pointed out the absurdity of proven stayers not making the cut.
This is not a new problem and, after the usual guessing game of how many of the top 40 will drop out, it was frankly ludicrous that Welsh National winner Secret Reprieve, who was well supported, missed the cut by two last year despite clearly having the right credentials.
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