Interesting trio drop in weights for latest Grand National attempt

It is always comforting to pick a horse for the Grand National with experience of the Aintree fences and there are a few this year in line to enter the race on better terms than on their failed attempts of the past.

Cappa Bleu rewarded each-way punters last year when finishing fourth and quashed any doubts regarding his stamina by staying on right up until the line.

He did so off a mark of 147 and he is 2lb better off this time.

The key will be whether trainer Evan Williams can get a run into him before Aintree, but the horse is slightly fragile and a testing race on heavy ground will not be ideal preparation.

Cappa Bleu is 20/1 to win the Grand National and there is another former runner that has been given a big chance at double the price.

Chicago Grey was heavily fancied for the Grand National last year and appeared to be getting into an early rhythm in midfield before being brought down by a faller travelling just ahead of him.

Being a hold-up horse, these tactics increase the likelihood of this occurrence, as they do with Tidal Bay and Weird Al, but 40/1 about Chicago Grey is a tremendous price.

He was sent off at 20/1 last year and was running off a 9lb higher mark.

Chicago Grey ran promisingly in the Welsh National in December, but has disappointed since in Ireland. There are some niggling doubts over whether he is a horse in decline, but based on his general standard of form, he has a competitive weight for Aintree.

The third horse to nosedive in the weights is Tatenen, who is the biggest price of the trio and the same price that he was sent off at for the Grand National last year at 100/1.

Tatenen ran off a mark of 150 then before unseating Andrew Thornton at the Canal Turn on the first circuit and has been dropped 6lb this time.

This is interesting as he has only been rated at less than 145 for two other races since the start of 2011 and was victorious on each occasion.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date