The Midlands Grand National is a Listed handicap Steeplechase run over a distance of 4 miles, 1 furlong and 110 yards, and since 1991, has been run on the Saturday straight after the Cheltenham Festival.

Because of the proximity of Uttoxeter from Cheltenham, many racegoers, especially the Irish add an extra day onto their racing holiday to swell the bumper crowd on the day.

Since 1969, the Midlands Grand National has been the jewel in the crown of horse racing within the region.

The atmosphere is always one of excitement and anticipation as people await the biggest raceday in the Midlands. That excitement is always fuelled by the action witnessed throughout the previous Cheltenham Festival week.

Last year’s winner Potters Corner went on to win this season’s Welsh Grand National and is a leading fancy for the Aintree version next month.

Some interesting facts on the race include:

• Widest winning margin – Another Excuse (1996) – distance.
• Leading trainer - David Pipe Minella Four Star (2011), Master Overseer (2012), Big Occasion (2013), Goulanes (2014).
• Narrowest winning margin – Fighting Chance (1974), Knock Hill (1988) – head.
• Most runners – 22, in 1978, 1979 and 1981.
• Fewest runners – 6, in 2000.

15 runners go to post and here is your runner-by-runner guide:

De Rasher Counter (Emma Lavelle)

The eight-year-old was an impressive winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury back in November but made mistakes at Cheltenham last time out and was put in his place by Santini and Bristol De Mai.

Lavelle now returns to Uttoxeter with him, a meeting where De Rasher Counter was successful last year.

Dominateur (Oliver Sherwood)

Oliver Sherwood had lofty plans for this seven-year and he had entries in both RSA and the National Hunt Chase at The Festival, before he was comprehensively beaten in the Towton Chase at Wetherby.

This is a brand new trip for him.

Joe Farrell (Rebecca Curtis)

A runner whose stamina should not be in question is Joe Farrell, the winner of the 2018 Scottish National which was his last victory to date. 

He did well to finish seventh in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and is the ideal type for a race of this nature.

Truckers Lodge (Paul Nicholls)

Truckers Lodge, second to Potters Corner in the Welsh National, has been heading the betting all week and understandably so based upon that performance alone.

The eight-year-old missed the Grand National Trial at Haydock recently in preference to this.

Captain Drake (Harry Fry)

He won a 10-runner handicap at Exeter by five and a half lengths from The Kings Writ on New Year’s Day but unseated last time out at Ascot.

He really needs to brush up his jumping to be competitive.

Christmas In April (Colin Tizzard)

Many people thought Christmas In April would be heading to Cheltenham but the plan has always been to run here for some time.

The progressive young stayer is having a season to savour and he may still be one step ahead of the handicapper coming into this.

Prime Venture (Adam Wedge)

Prime Venture was a good fourth in the Welsh National this season and finished in the same position in this very race last year.

He stays all day and should put in another solid performance.

Just Your Type (Charlie Longsdon)

Just Your Type has plenty of experience already over these extreme distances after sixth in last year’s Eider Chase and second in this season’s Border National.

If he can put his disappointing run at Wetherby to one side then he is an each-way player for sure.

Potters Legend (Lucy Wadham)

The ten-year-old was a useful individual a few seasons ago before an injury saw him off the track for a year.

He has been showing glimmers of his old self this term and his third place in a Veterans’ Chase at Doncaster was highly encouraging.

Se Mo Laoch (Brian McMahon)

This year’s sole Irish raider comes into the race on the back of a hard fought win over 3 miles in heavy ground at Navan.

He should handle the trip and he will probably be overlooked by many in the betting as he is from a fairly unknown stable.

Petite Power (Fergal O’Brien)

O’Brien’s charge took third place behind leading Grand National fancy Kimberlite Candy in the Classic Chase at Warwick and was a leading fancy in the cancelled Eider Chase.

The eleven-year-old is enjoying a renascence of form this season and should be in the mix.

Sheneededtherun (Sam Allwood)

The stable is very much in form at the moment and this mare has been a revelation this season for the team, clocking up a four-timer with her wide margin win at Bangor last time.

There is no reason why she can’t put it up to them again here.

Very First Time (Dan Skelton)

Out of Like A Virgin, this gelding boasts a 50% win strike rate this season, with the latest of those wins coming at Doncaster in fairly testing conditions under Bridget Andrews.

There is every chance he might stay this extended distance and Harry Skelton rides Uttoxeter well.

Rathlin Rose (David Pipe)

After finishing sixth in the Velka Pardubicka last October, the veteran chaser has struggled with his form all season long.

It looks highly unlikely that David Pipe will add to his tally of Midlands National victories with this old lad.

Financial Outcome (Rebecca Curtis)

The seven-year-old is consistently placed but only has one Rules victory to his name to speak of.

Languishing at the bottom of the weights, trainer Rebecca Curtis will be hoping some of her horse racing betting luck rubs off here with another outsider doing the business for the yard, and topping off a great week.

Conclusion

The Midlands Grand National really needs some getting when the going is described as “heavy” at Uttoxeter and for that reason I shall be siding with the proven stayer- Joe Farrell (nap).

Just Your Type (nb) ran too bad to be true at Wetherby, but if he is back on song he will be plodding on when plenty of the others have cried enough.

888sport suggests: Joe Farrell & Just Your Type (e/w). 
 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Amr Nabil / AP Photo*

The Premier League was once the ‘best’. Then it was ‘most competitive’. There’s a balance to be had between the two: complete randomness isn’t interesting, nor is immense elite talent that never loses a match.

Liverpool and Manchester City battled out an epic title race in 2018/19. It was the two best teams in Europe going toe-to-toe, their encounters were tense.

The rest of the season, though, despite the pressure of pursuing a trophy, bordered on procession. They never seemed likely to lose a match.

City have fallen off the pace in 2019/20 – Liverpool have barely broken sweat on their way to a first top-flight title since 1990. There’s not been parity between the top two, let alone the rest of the division.

The quality argument took a hit of sorts on Wednesday night too, as Liverpool were dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid - despite an excellent performance in the second leg.

A Premier League Netflix-style service will have millions of fans across the globe excited still.

The question of quality and parity, and where the Premier League is right now, doesn’t seem to be hurting the league as a business, but it’s a topic worth looking at and Champions League results might be a useful indicator.

European Demise

Liverpool are European champions after an All-English final in 2019, but that doesn’t represent the performance of English clubs on the biggest stage.

From 2010/11 to 2018/19, there were just seven Premier League clubs in Champions League semi-finals, with two of them coming in 2018/19.

There were 15 Premier League clubs in Champions League semi-finals from 2000/01 to 2008/09 with a marked peak towards the end of the decade. English football was dominant, though there were only two winners in the noughties.

Performance in knockout football is a far from perfect barometer of a league’s quality, but it might be the best indicator we have.

Fortunate plays a major role – both in matches and the draws. Quality tends to shine through over a longer period, though, and that’s what has happened.

The best Premier League clubs have struggled to keep pace with Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern.

The days of three Premier League clubs in the last four are a distant memory, a time when Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard were actually playing rather than just a topic of fury-provoking debate.

Perhaps that’s the basis of any criticism of the Premier League’s quality. The league isn’t just worse at the very top, it’s shallower too.

There’s usually a legitimate Champions League contender from the Premier League, but it’s rare there’s more than one without a gluttonous dollop of fortune and freak knockout football.

Talent Inequality

The teams in the Champions League are going to have stronger squads than the newly promoted sides. That’s a given and necessary part of competitive sport. Some teams will be better than others.

Parity isn’t just financial, it isn’t just about the best Premier League referees giving fair decisions.

The transfer of players from the non-elite in the Premier League to the best clubs is inevitable, but it has become a symbol of talent inequality the league has now more than ever.

Xherdan Shaqiri and Riyad Mahrez are two such examples.

Shaqiri was one of the most gifted players outside the top six when he was at Stoke, and he single-handedly kept them fighting against relegation in their most recent top flight campaign.

A release clause made it easy for Liverpool to sign him. Even a player of his quality, a player who would be a star for most of the league, can only get occasional bench minutes at a top club. He’s a backup.

Mahrez has flourished at Manchester City this season with Leroy Sane sidelined. His signing, though, was not filling a desperate need or building for the future.

City threw a large pot of money at Leicester City for his services, stopping him moving to a rival and adding yet more superb depth to their squad. It’s a smart signing for City, but one that should concern the Premier League.

Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be used as counter points to this. Their circumstances show Manchester United’s demise more than anything else, however.

Richarlison or Wilfried Zaha are similar to Mahrez and Shaqiri: key, standout players for their current teams, but they would rarely start for City or Liverpool.

How many minutes would Abdoulaye Doucoure get at City, Liverpool or even Chelsea?

If this matters will depend on who you ask. Seeing players leave a club to become a squad player will not sit right with a lot of football fans, and the hoarding of established talent doesn’t help the league.

It’s the nature of football, and a situation that is not going to change with the current financial system.

Top Heavy Table

English Premier League betting reminds us of how favoured the top teams often are. There’s seldom value backing Liverpool or City to win.

The competitiveness of the Premier League will fluctuate. Dominant teams come and go,and the top six disappoint and impress from year-to-year, creating either a lower standard at the top or making it seem more competitive.

Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United have all made it appear a more competitive league outside the top two this year, but that could prove to be misleading next season.

Like Ligue 1, Bundesliga and La Liga, the Premier League is top heavy. The top two are barely visible on the horizon. The consequence has been a wide-open race for European spots, which wasn’t as common in the noughties.

The quality of the teams between third and sixth has dropped over the last few years, particularly in 2019/20, and it’s helped form a new sense of parity.

The Premier League landscape is very different from 10 years ago. But if you wonder whether it’s better or worse: It depends on what you value in a sports league.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Dave Thompson / AP Photo*