Tiger Roll Aiming to Make Grand National History in the UK
The Grand National is one of the biggest horse racing events in the world, and certainly the biggest race in the UK. This year there is a chance that history could be made at the event when Tiger Roll aims to land an unprecedented third win in the race after winning it for the last two years. We have only ever seen dual winners before, but could be about to see a horse win it for the third time and go into the record books.
Many in the UK are calling Tiger Roll the people’s horse and after seeing his accomplishments during his career it is easy to see why. When he gets to the biggest races and in front of big TV audiences he comes to the fore to produce his best, and when a horse is doing that they become very easy to love for those who watch.
We have seen him win two Grand National titles, and he has also recorded four wins at the Cheltenham Festival from five appearances. Those began way back in 2014 with a win in the Triumph Hurdle for juveniles, little did we know he was going to evolve into the star we have today.
The 10-year-old has had a special career to date, and in 2020 we could see it end with a bang with two wins at two of the biggest horse racing meetings in the world.
Two Runs Remain to Make History
The plan is to retire Tiger Roll after his run in the Grand National in April. Before that race he will have one run, which is a trip to the Cheltenham Festival to defend his Cross Country Chase crown. This is the Cheltenham horse race that everyone will want to watch, a chance to see a returning star and a horse that would claim his fifth festival win and third in a row in this race if he manages to win.
That is exactly what he did last season and not only that but he beat the field by 22 lengths. He usually takes in a race or two to get fit before his run at Cheltenham but that won’t be the case this season. He was planned to have a lighter campaign, with just one run before his big two targets but injury set him back and trainer Gordon Elliott will instead send him straight to Cheltenham for his first run of the season.
He will be seen as a banker of the week for many people, especially Irish punters who love to support their own horses when they travel across the Irish Sea. There are many Cheltenham Festival free bet offers currently available that will aid punters in placing Cheltenham bets on this horse and many more.
The First Three Time Grand National Winner?
There are many things what make the Grand National a special race and tough to win. To see a horse win the race twice is incredible, but the see someone win it three years in a row would cement Tiger Roll into the hearts of the racing public and make him one of the all-time greats.
The race is a grueling test, with a distance of over four miles and some huge fences to jump. It is also a handicap, so each horse is given an equal chance in the eyes of the handicapper, so Tiger Roll has to carry a huge weight around Aintree because of his ability compared to the rest. He isn’t simply the best horse and beating others off level weights here, he is doing something special and constantly defying the handicapper who keeps giving him more weight to carry.
Then there is the occasion to consider. Tens of thousands of people flock to both Cheltenham and Aintree which is where we have seen Tiger Roll at his best and he hasn’t been phased once by it. For some horses, running in front of crowds this big and loud is not easy and can affect their performance. However, for Tiger Roll it seems to be the opposite, it affects him in a good way and he thrives off the energy and buzz he gets from having a big crowd in attendance watching him.
Win or lose, Tiger Roll is going to be remembered as a great horse for a very long time. When needed, he has stepped up and delivered on some of the biggest stages in world racing time and time again.
This Spring, he could take his legacy to a whole new level with another win at the Cheltenham Festival followed by a third Grand National at Aintree. He will be retired after that second run, and doing so in the winners enclosure with the eyes of the world on him would sum up the career that this horse has had.
