Grand National Lucky Dip
We've picked a grand national horse at random for you. You can also pick your horse based on it star sign, the colour of the Jockeys silks or where the horse is trained. Good Luck!
Mahler Mission showed plenty of promise over hurdles winning three times including the Grade Two River Don Hurdle at Doncaster and also finishing seventh in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Trainer John McConnell sent his charge straight over fences the following season and Mahler Mission got off the mark at the third attempt when taking a three mile novice chase at Navan by ten lengths. The son of Mahler then finished a close runner-up in a Grade Two novice chase at the same track and then headed back to Cheltenham for a try at the National Hunt Chase. Mahler Mission put up a great show that day, leading from the sixteenth fence and was still four lengths ahead when falling at the second last. This season has seen the eight-year-old gelding put up two excellent efforts in defeat; firstly when runner-up to Thunder Rock in the Colin Parker at Carlisle, where the distance of two miles four furlongs would have been against him and then only finding Thatsalrightgino too good in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. McConnell has decided to send Mahler Mission to Aintree very fresh as he will have been off the track for 133 days be the time he runs in the National. This is a very brave choice as the longest any National winner had been off the track since 1997 is 84 days. You would have to assume that keeping Mahler Mission off the track has been done to avoid winter soft ground. If so, he is unlikely to enjoy the underfoot conditions forecast at Aintree. The form of the stable could also be a consideration as John McConnell has only had two National Hunt winners in the last 90 days. He has had other winners on the All Weather but the form of his NH horses must be a concern. Mahler Mission's combination of front-running and bold jumping will make him a popular choice and his form from the National Hunt Chase suggests he may well have the required stamina for a race such as the Grand National but the question marks on fitness, ground and stable form make his current odds look unappealing.
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