The bookies are fearing another ‘Tiger Roll’ result in the Randox Grand National after a huge gamble forced another change of favourite for Saturday’s £1million race.
Tiger Roll famously completed back-to-back victories at Aintree in 2018 and 2019, the first horse to do so since the legendary Red Rum. He was denied the chance to go for a hat-trick when the race was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At Aintree 12 months ago the Willie Mullins-trained, JP McManus-owned I Am Maximus triumphed under Paul Townend at odds of 7-1.
He has figured prominently in the betting to score again but much of the betting interest has focussed on last year’s Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles, Stumptown, winner of the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and Iroko, another challenger owned by billionaire McManus.
However on the eve of the three day Grand National Festival there has been another change at the top of the betting as punters’ money finally came for I Am Maximus, set to be one of six Mullins challengers.
As a result the nine-year-old has leap-frogged his opponents to become the new favourite with William Hill for the world famous race.
The bookmaker’s spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “Our Non-Runner Money Back Grand National market has been a real rollercoaster and there’s been another twist in the last 12 hours.
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“The defending champion, I Am Maximus, has been the subject of a big gamble, where we’ve seen really good money for him, enough to make him the new standalone favourite at 8-1 from 11s.
“The wave of money has also propelled him to be our worst result in the race, jumping ahead of Stumptown, Meetingofthewaters and Beauport.
“There’s plenty more time for more gambles to take place, but right now, we’re fearing I Am Maximus ‘doing a Tiger Roll’ and landing back-to-back Grand Nationals.”
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