Davy Russell to team up with Tiger Roll for Grand National

Davy Russell, and those punters who've made Tiger Roll favourite with some firms for Saturday's Randox Grand National, are likely to know their Aintree fate after just three fences.

That is the view of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud team who have confirmed that Russell will be on board the diminutive triple-Cheltenham festival winner in Liverpool.

Tiger Roll has been supported into 8-1 favourite with Ladbrokes for the world's most famous steeplechase, a move that has perplexed the Gigginstown spokesman, Eddie O'Leary.

“God bless him, he has a heart as big as himself, and he keeps on overachieving. But why is he favourite?” O’Leary queried on Sunday.

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“Tiger Roll either takes to it [Aintree] or he doesn’t. With him you’ll know after three fences if it’s a going day or not. If he can survive the first circuit, and gaps come in those big fences, then we’ll see. But you never know with him,” he added.

Russell, set to be crowned Ireland’s champion jockey for a third time, but who has yet to win the National during his illustrious career, is set to team up with Tiger Roll for the first time in almost four years at Aintree.

The Cork man won the 2014 Triumph Hurdle on Tiger Roll and was also on board for his next race. However, Keith Donoghue partnered the horse to his cross-country success at Cheltenham last month while Lisa O’Neill was in the plate when he won the National Hunt Chase in 2017.

“The plan is Davy rides him,” said O’Leary, but final riding plans for Gigginstown’s handful of National contenders will be made later this week. “Rachael [Blackmore] will be on Alpha Des Obeaux. Seán Flanagan will ride Road To Riches and we’ll see about Valseur Lido and Thunder And Roses.”

Valseur Lido will be Henry De Bromhead’s fourth National starter and the Co Waterford trainer hopes Aintree’s unique atmosphere could help rejuvenate his former Grade One star.

“He’s probably got bogged down in the ground in his last couple of starts. That’s what I’m hoping anyway. Better ground, and the place, can hopefully bring him back to form. He’s in great form at home,” De Bromhead said.

Rule The World famously won the National for Michael O’Leary in 2016 and the Ryanair chief executive is likely to have a big say in the Irish challenge for much of the three-day festival which starts on Thursday.

With Tiger Roll's trainer Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins keeping many of their star names in reserve for the Punchestown festival later this month, the combination of Gigginstown and De Bromhead could fly the flag in many events outside the National.

Betway Bowl

Both Balko Des Flos and Sub Lieutenant are among the entries for Thursday’s Betway Bowl for which the Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite looks sure to start a hot favourite.

However, news that Might Bite’s stable companion Altior misses Friday’s JLT Melling Chase immediately prompted Gigginstown to point Balko Des Flos at the 2½ mile Grade One instead.

“He’s definitely going for the 2½ now!” joked O’Leary after confirmation that Altior will wait for Sandown’s Celebration Chase.

Balko Des Flos was an impressive winner of the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and O’Leary added: “He won well at Cheltenham and hopefully he’s okay after it. They’re all tough races there. No one wins at Cheltenham without knowing they’ve won.

“Hopefully the ground will be okay at Aintree and Henry can be well represented over there.”

Mullins’s exciting novice Footpad is due to line up in the two-mile Maghull Novices’ Chase on Saturday and the reigning champion trainer could have up to three runners in the National itself.

Total Recall is among the favourites while Pleasant Company and Children's List are also possible starters for the man who won the National in 2005 with Hedgehunter.

Two years later his great rival Elliott landed the great race with Silver Birch but since then the only Irish trained winner has been Rule The World. He was the 16th Irish winner of the Aintree showpiece since 1900.

Hoping to be added the illustrious roll of honour is Dublin-based trainer Patrick Griffin who has booked English jockey Nick Scholfield for his 13-year-old veteran Maggio. The horse is owned by Douglas Pryde and James Beaumont, owners of the 2013 winner, Auroras Encore.

“I’ve known Nick for a long time and he has ridden for us before,” reported Griffin’s son, James, on Sunday.

“Maggio is very well. He schooled over fences over 2½ miles at Thurles [last week]. I rode him and I was absolutely delighted. It’s now all systems go for the National,” he added.

Maggio is among the 100-1 outsiders for Saturday’s race.