Horse Racing Tips: Grand National 2019 And Grand National Trial News

The 2019 Grand National has attracted a bumper entry of 112 horses - up from 104 in 2018 and includes a record 47 trained in Ireland. The previous highest number of Irish-trained entries was 40 just last year.

Irish trainer Gordon Elliott will be attempting to land his third Grand National after Tiger Roll held on by a head from the fast-finishing Pleasant Company (Willie Mullins) last year. 

Tiger Roll is currently the 20/1 joint-favourite with many of the leading online bookmakers, as he bids to become the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back renewals of the race.

Unsurprisingly Elliott holds the most entries once again with a total of 22 horses engaged.

His armada of runners includes last year's third Bless The Wings, the Thyestes Chase runner-up Alpha Des Obeaux, the 2018 Irish Grand National winner General Principle and last season's Thyestes Chase scorer Monbeg Notorious (50/1), plus Grade One winners Outlander and Shattered Love.

Cork Grand National winner Out Sam and the Far Hills (USA) victor Jury Duty are also amongst the Elliott entries.

In addition to Pleasant Company, Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins has entered up nine other possibles.

These include last season's Irish Grand National runner-up Isleofhopendreams, 2018 Leinster National winner Pairofbrowneyes and Rathvinden, who captured the four-mile National Hunt Chase at the The Festival in 2018.

Some Neck, the Thyestes Chase third Up For Review and Total Recall, winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy (formerly the Hennessy) at Newbury in 2017, also feature among the ten Mullins entries.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is seeking a record-equalling third success in the race after his Gigginstown Stud won last year with Tiger Roll and two years prior to that, with Rule The World. Gigginstown make up a total of 14 of the entries.

Leading British contenders include the Trevor Hemmings-owned Vintage Clouds, third in last season's Scottish Grand National behind Joe Farrell, plus Rock The Kasbah who won a valuable handicap chase at Cheltenham in November.

The 112 entries as of Wednesday 30th January and their approximate odds are as follows:

20/1 - Tiger Roll, Elegant Escape

25/1 - Vintage Clouds, Rock The Kasbah

33/1 - Mall Dini, Rathvinden, Abolitionist, Valtor, Pleasant Company, Alpha des Obeaux, Vieux Lion Rouge, Step Back, Lake View Lad, Ballyoptic, Ms Parfois, Anibale Fly, Warriors Tale, General Principle, One For Arthur, Walk In The Mill

40/1 - Go Conquer, Shattered Love, Isleofhopendreams, Folsom Blue, Joe Farrell, Jury Duty, Auvergnat, Fact of The Matter, Royal Vacation, Some Neck, The Young Master, Cogry, Total Recall, Ramses De Teillee, Allysson Monterg, Traffic Fluide, Acapella Bourgeois, Ultragold, Up For Review, Minella Rocco, Missed Approach, Out Sam, Impulsive Star, Noble Endeavor, Blaklion            

50/1 - Baie Des Iles, Mr Diablo, Willie Boy, Monbeg Notorious, Outlander, Pairofbrowneyes, Bristol de Mai, Calett Mad, The Last Samuri, Daklondike, Don Poli, The Dutchman, Yala Enki, Singlefarmpayment, Give Me A Copper, Rogue Angel, Black Corton

66/1 - Sandymount Duke, Kilcrea Vale, Shantou Village, Livelovelaugh, American, Sizing Codelco, Exitas, Edwulf, Ziga Boy, Dounikos, Sub Lieutenant, Tea For Two, Looking Well, Rathlin Rose, Magic of Light, Mala Beach, Captain Redbeard, Call It Magic, Master Dee, Milansbar, Blow By Blow, Morney Wing, Kingswell Theatre, Van Gogh du Granit, Ballyhill, Vieux Morvan, Ballydine, Ballyarthur, Ned Stark, Westerner Point

80/1 - Regal Encore, Red Infantry, Splash of Ginge , Bless The Wings

100/1 - A Toi Phil, Measureofmydreams, Polidam, Potters Corner, Lieutenant Colonel, Woods Well, Scoir Mear, Just A Par, Back To The Thatch, Jarob, Highland Lodge, Skipthecuddles, The Storyteller, Carole's Destrier, Borice, Valseur Lido.

 

The lead up to the Grand National starts in earnest in a fortnight’s time when Aintree’s sister racecourse, Haydock Park, hosts the £100,000 G3 Grand National Trial on Saturday, February 16th.

A total of 46 entries have been received for the extended three and a half-mile handicap chase, with 23 of those entries also engaged in the Grand National itself, so there will be plenty of clues coming your way.

Ramses de Teillee, trained by David Pipe, is the 8/1 favourite for the race and he is one of those entered in the National as well. The seven-year-old's most recent outing came when the length and a quarter runner-up in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow.

The Pond House trainer has also entered Daklondike (10/1), successful here earlier in the season in the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase over two miles and seven furlongs and the Aintree regular Vieux Lion Rouge (20/1).

The Warren Greatrex-trained Missed Approach landed the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles at last year’s Cheltenham betting Festival. 

He has made one appearance so far this season, coming home sixth behind Walk In The Mill in the Becher Chase at Aintree in December.

The nine-year-old holds entries in both the Trial, for which he is a 12/1 chance, and the Grand National for which he is quoted at 40/1.

Venetia Williams’ Yala Enki (12/1) was the wide-margin winner of this race last year and holds entries at both venues this year. Yala Enki was third in the Welsh Grand National last time out.

The Grand National Trial is also on the radar for One For Arthur (25/1), the 2017 Grand National winner. The 10-year-old, who missed last season because of injury, unseated four fences from home in the Peter Marsh Chase when he was beginning to run on.

One For Arthur’s trainer Lucinda Russell has a good record in the race with three successes to her name and she could also be represented by Big River (20/1), an impressive winner of the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase at Kelso last season.

The weights for the Grand National Trial will be revealed this Wednesday (6th February) while the weights for the actual Grand National will be available on February 12th.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

February 3, 2019
Horse Racing

By Steve Mullington

Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Love Him Or Hate Him, Novak Djokovic Deserves Greater Recognition

    Novak Djokovic cruised to the Australian Open title last month. Djokovic dropped sets along the way, but he kicked into another gear for the semi-final and final, destroying Lucas Pouille and then Rafael Nadal in straight sets.

    Pouille’s demise was expected. Nadal’s was extraordinary. Nadal had been playing some of the best tennis of his career and we looked set for a belting final. Instead, Djokovic tore his old rival apart to lift a record-breaking seventh Australian Open trophy.

    Djokovic overtook Pete Sampras on the all-time men’s Grand Slam winners list with his Melbourne triumph. Only two men, Nadal and Roger Federer, have won more Slams than Djokovic.

    The Serbian’s career began in 2008, three years after Nadal and five after Federer. He is five Slams behind Federer and just two off Nadal – topping that table is well within reach before the end of his career.

    It has taken time, but going past Sampras is representative of Djokovic’s standing in the sport. Federer and Nadal were established greats before Djokovic arrived on the scene, he was the up and coming young player who did historic things.

    Djokovic should be talked about as one of the greats, in the same breath as Federer and Nadal, it is fitting he has joined the pair with over 14 Grand Slams.

    He muscled his way into that discussion. Along with a helping hand from Andy Murray, Djokovic made the ‘big two’ into a ‘big four’, he became the best player in the world and went toe-to-toe with all-time greats.

    Peak Djokovic, when he held all four Slams in 2015/16, is arguably the greatest tennis player the sport has ever seen. He was superhuman, capable of returning anything, pushing his body to the extremes.

    Even then, though, chronology left Djokovic in the shadows of Federer and Nadal.

    Djokovic has the edge (over the course of his career) against Federer (25-22) and Nadal (28-25). He has benefited from playing post-peak Federer, and obviously his numbers against Nadal on clay are less favourable, but it is still a stunning record.

    Two of the greats, perhaps the two greatest, have lost more than they have won when they take the court against Djokovic.  

    The next tier, for want of a better phrase, fared much worse against Djokovic. The Serbian has a 25-11 against Murray and completely dominated Stan Wawrinka, winning 19 and losing just five matches.

    Wawrinka is the only non-big-four player to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, as he has done twice. Murray and Wawrinka are two of the best in this generation. Djokovic has proven superior over a decade.

    Stamina and resilience are perhaps Djokovic’s most important traits, and certainly his most famous. He has been involved in plenty of epics, including the 2012 Australian Open final against Nadal, which ended just shy of the six-hour mark.

    His career will be remembered for not just the trophy ceremonies after a fortnight of superiority but providing the world with memorable matches that will go down in history.

    The duration of Federer and Nadal’s rivalry meant they developed their loyal support. Djokovic did not have the same luxury, and might have suffered in Britain, down to his tendency to beat Murray on the biggest stage.

    Djokovic beat Murray in five of their seven Grand Slam final meetings, along with several other heart-breaking losses for the Brit, which earned Djokovic respect in Britain, but he was more pantomime villain than idol.

    Djokovic always believed he could be this good. He was brash as he crept up the world rankings, happy to talk up his own ability. He was right, he did eventually beat Nadal on clay, proving he was beatable as he said all those years ago.

    He does not have the elegance of Federer, nor the awe-striking physicality of Nadal. Djokovic is still a superhuman athlete and freaky, all-around tennis player, capable of the extraordinary on all surfaces.

    His game is without frills, at his best he grinds his opponents down, outlasting them in rallies and seldom making an error. It is clinical and without weakness, while that earns praise, it does not necessarily attract fandom and admiration.

    Djokovic did not have the trademark of Federer on Centre Court or Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier, though maybe he should have done. Even as one of the three most successful men’s players ever, there is a sense Djokovic is yet to join Nadal and Federer.

    Back in 2016, Djokovic became the first man since Rod Laver to hold all four Grand Slams. He is the all-court player in both meanings, he covers every inch and thrives on every surface. In the same year, Laver declared Djokovic tied with Federer as the greatest ever.

    Since then, Djokovic has recovered from injury and loss of form, which looked to have ended his time atop the men’s game. Djokovic is a successful Roland Garros away from holding all four Slams again.

    There is an element of subjectivity in greatness in any field. Picking between the current three is splitting hairs. Timing, style and maybe personality have contributed to Djokovic being left out of the conversation despite his achievements.

    His victories over Pouille and Nadal were a reminder of his brilliance and should have finally consolidated his place in Federer and Nadal’s exclusive group.  

    Head to 888 sport for all of the latest punts for tennis

     

    February 3, 2019
    Tennis
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    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

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    Championship Betting Preview: Birmingham City vs Nottingham Forest (February 2nd 2019)

    BIRMINGHAM CITY vs Nottingham Forest: Best Bets

    Blues – 5/4

    Draw – 41/20

    Nottingham Forest – 49/20

    Birmingham showed plenty of courage and resilience in the 3-3 draw at Swansea City earlier this week, playing the entire second half with 10 men after Kristian Pederson’s red card.

    The Blues, now up to 12th in the Championship table, will look to claim three points at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.

    Garry Monk’s side are priced at 5/4 with 888sport to emerge victorious at St Andrew’s this weekend – punters will fancy the Blues to snatch a win after Tuesday’s performance.

    With a bit of luck, a first home win since Boxing Day could be on the cards…

    Che Adams has scored in each of his last four Championship fixtures and 888sport football betting odds have the Blues star at 19/10 to get his name on the scoresheet this weekend.

    One of the most prolific frontmen in the division, Adams could be Birmingham’s difference maker once again.

    Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest have gone through a difficult spell in recent weeks.

    Martin O’Neill’s side had lost three matches in a row before last week’s 3-1 victory over Wigan Athletic – visiting fans may fancy the 49/20 for a Forest win. A win could see O’Neill’s men climb up to seventh in the table.

    Birmingham fans, 888sport are going 7/2 for Adams to score in a home win this weekend.

    With 15 goals in all competitions already this season, the 22-year-old will be looking to extend his fine run of form when Forest visit St Andrew’s on Saturday afternoon. Adams can inspire Birmingham to a huge win.

    Both teams to score looks like an absolute shoo-in this weekend. Forest fought back from two goals down to salvage a draw back in August but Birmingham are much stronger now.

    Our bet of the day is priced at 17/20 but Blues fans may prefer the 4/1 for both teams to score with Birmingham coming out on top.

    Prediction: Birmingham 2-1 Forest (8/1)

    Bet of the day: Both teams to score (17/20)

    Outside punt: Birmingham to win and both teams to score (4/1)

    Enhanced wincast: Che Adam to score and Birmingham to win (7/2)

     

    *Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

    February 1, 2019
    Football

    By Alex McMahon

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    Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

    He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

    As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
     

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    Dublin Racing Festival 2019: Weekend Preview

    With British racing looking like being completed decimated this weekend due to the cold snap, here at 888sport we are going to divert our attentions instead towards the Emerald Isle.

    So, without further ado, let's take a look at some of the feature races at the Dublin Racing Festival.

     

    Irish Gold Cup (3rd February)

    Three horses have won both this race and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same year, those being Jodami, Imperial Call, and Sizing John.

    Whether any horse in this race can emulate those greats at Prestbury Park remains to be seen, but there will certainly be lots of betting horse racing interest in Leopardstown’s feature race this weekend.

    Willie Mullins has won this contest on nine occasions, including three on the bounce from 2011-2013.

    In more recent years, Jessica Harrington took this and then the Gold Cup with Sizing John and Joseph O’Brien came through and surprised everybody last year with Edwulf.

    Main Contenders

    Road To Respect, fourth in the last season’s Gold Cup, is the current favourite in the market.

    He was an impressive winner of the JN.Wine Champion Chase on his seasonal reappearance before finishing third in the Christmas Chase where a string of unfortunate events checked his run in the closing stages of the race.

    Monalee, second in the RSA, must have some sort of a chance.

    Henry De Bromhead’s eight-year-old is an extremely sound jumper but has not always been the strongest stayer at this trip. A bit more mental fortitude is all he needs to figure in this.

    Al Boum Photo was the winner of the Powers Gold Cup last season in a very successful novice season.

    He was impressive on his return in the Savills Chase when beating the likes of Total Recall and the subsequent Thyestes Chase winner Invitation Only.

    Kemboy is an extremely progressive seven-year-old and must be in with a shout of completing a Grade 1 double this weekend.

    He has looked a different horse since falling in the Irish Grand National, with four straight wins, and Danny Mullins gets on with him well. His tactical speed should once again come to the fore in this race and he is a big player for the top honours.

    Bellshill, a Punchestown Gold Cup winner, made a fine reappearance in the Christmas Chase, making up late ground after a solid round of jumping.

    He should come on for that run, and a stronger pace here should suit his running style better.

    Anibale Fly is a horse currently flying under the radar in the betting, which is strange really considering he was third in the Gold Cup – ahead of Road To Respect, and then fourth in the Grand National.

    A course and distance winner, he will have to put his Hilly Way Chase performance behind him, but a return to form would give him a great shout.

    He was beaten on his return over two miles last year before romping home with the Paddy Power Chase, so there is every chance he could put in a repeat performance in this.

    The Willie Mullins-trained Total Recall, previously trained by Sandra Hughes, took two notable scalps last season, the Munster National at Limerick and Newbury’s Ladbrokes Trophy.

    Those results earned him a crack at the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, where he was still travelling well on the heels of the leaders, when falling three from home.

    He appears to be bubbling just under his best so far this season and with a small step forward he could easily make the grade once again.

     

    Other Big Races At Dublin Racing Festival

    Undoubtedly the Irish Gold Cup is the focal point of the weekend but there are plenty of other high quality races taking place over the course of Saturday and Sunday. Here are some horses to look out for:

    Saturday (1.25pm) - Min

    Willie Mullins took the inaugural running of the Grade 1 Dublin Chase at last year's Dublin Festival with Min and he can repeat the feat again this year.

    Stablemate Footpad is vying for favouritism but has plenty to prove after finishing second to Simply Ned at Leopardstown last time out.

    Saturday (2pm) - Kocknanuss

    The Gary Moore-trained Knocknanuss found only the well-regarded French runner, Master Dino, too good for him at Plumpton last time and heads to Leopardstown with a really solid chance of picking up the spoils.

    Le Richebourg is certainly going to be the horse to beat here but Moore’s British raider will certainly lead them all a merry dance from the get go and is worth taking on the favourite with.

    Sunday (12:40pm) - Sassy Diva

    Sassy Diva has not been out of the first three in two seasons and can be taken to run another good race at a decent each-way price in this race.

    She runs off just 10st and is certainly one to watch for in this opening Mares Handicap Hurdle.

    Sunday (3pm) - Delta Work

    This will be Delta Work’s toughest task to date but he can maintain his unbeaten record, even with the likes of La Bague Au Roi and Winter Escape snapping at his heels.

    Delta Work’s stamina will be vital in this race and it will be what gives him even stronger favouritism in the RSA betting at The Festival after the conclusion of this contest.

    Sunday (4:10pm) - Cubomania

    The Abbey International Leopardstown Handicap Chase can go the way of the Gordon Elliott-trained Cubomania who has been knocking on the door on his last couple of runs.

    His half-length second in the Dan Moore is very good form and he is well worth an each-way punt here.

     

    *Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

    January 31, 2019
    Horse Racing

    By Steve Mullington

    Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Premier League: Sunday 3rd February 2019 Betting Tips And Odds

    This Sunday sees two fantastic Premier League fixtures. Manchester United look to bounce-back from Wednesday's disappointing draw with Burnley against an unpredictable Leicester side, while Manchester City host Arsenal.

    It is a big day in the top four race and could be huge for the title race. Here are a few thoughts and tips from 888sport’s Premier League odds and betting markets...

    LEICESTER CITY vs MANCHESTER UNITED

    Leicester have suffered a challenging start to 2019, having been knocked out of the FA Cup and had several poor league results.

    Claude Puel is a man under pressure. The Foxes played well in midweek to take a point against Liverpool, which was a much-needed positive result after losing a 4-3 thriller to Wolves in their previous league outing.

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had his first blip as Manchester United manager in midweek. United needed two late goals to draw with Burnley, but still made ground in their top four pursuit thanks to Chelsea’s heavy defeat to Bournemouth.

    Crucially, United’s performance was still good. It was not a return to the dark days of Mourinho, they created plenty of chances to win the match, and would have come out as comfortable victors on another day.

    The late comeback was a throwback to Alex Ferguson’s tenure and, despite the result being disappointing, there was a positive feeling about the match for United afterwards.

    Leicester are an up-and-down side. They have struggled against inferior opponents but have shown their best form against the big boys. We saw that again in midweek and the victories against Manchester City and Chelsea are still fresh in the memory.

    The contest between James Maddison and Nemanja Matic will be key. Matic has performed well under Solskjaer and Maddison has been superb this season.

    Stopping the former Norwich man is key to nullifying Jamie Vardy, who could cause all sorts of problems on the counter.

    This should be an entertaining match with both sides looking to attack at pace. It could go either way, with United the favourites – over 3.5 goals looks the best bet.

    TIP: Over 3.5 goals @ 21/10

    PREDICTED SCORE: Leicester 2-2 Manchester United at 11/1

     

    MANCHESTER CITY vs ARSENAL

    Manchester City’s midweek defeat to Newcastle has seen their Premier League outright odds to retain the title slip to 7/4. City got lucky that Liverpool dropped points too, meaning the gap only extended to five points rather than seven.

    Arsenal were on the verge of their own midweek disappointment but managed to scrape past Cardiff at the Emirates.

    The Gunners moved into fourth spot on goal difference with the victory, though they could be down in sixth by the time they kick-off at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

    Unai Emery is still dealing with an injury crisis. Nacho Monreal will likely start at centre-back again with Laurent Koscielny expected to be unavailable. Ainsley Maitland-Niles missed out against Cardiff, but Emery needs him to be fit for the trip to the northwest.

    Pep Guardiola may wring the changes after a poor display against Newcastle. Gabriel Jesus might get the nod up top, while Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva could return to the line-up.

    Raheem Sterling is City’s key man for this clash, facing Arsenal’s makeshift defence and potentially Maitland-Niles at right-back. Sterling is well worth backing at 11/10 to score anytime.

    Arsenal have failed to win in their last five away Premier League matches. Manchester City have won 12 of 13 league matches at home. This should be a competitive match, though, considering their contrasting results in midweek.

    The Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette partnership will fancy their chances of causing problems against City’s defence, but the hosts will feel much the same.

    City are 3/10 to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans. Expect plenty of goals on Sunday.

    TIP: Over 3.5 goals @ 22/25

    PREDICTED SCORE: Manchester City 3-2 Arsenal (Priced at 16/1 with 888sport)

     

    *Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

    January 31, 2019
    Premier League
    Body

    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

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