Tiger Roll was regarded as one of a number of horses who were fancied to challenge at last year's Grand National, and the Irish-based horse produced a tremendous ride for Davy Russell and proceeded to win the showcase race by a head. However, it is a different story this year with the nine-year-old currently set to go off as one of lowest-priced favourites in recent years with bookmakers only offering betting odds as high as 4/1. Most punters will naturally steer clear of that price given the length of the race and the size of the field, but will anyone be able to stop Tiger Roll is he successfully negotiates the 32 fences?
The grand national tips 2019 would suggest that the answer is likely to be a no. Tiger Roll was well beaten at Cheltenham in November after a 216-day break, but victories at Navan and at the recent Cheltenham Festival had got rid of any doubts about his form. Tiger Roll won by as much as 22 lengths over three miles six furlongs in the Glenfarclas Chase, and it is difficult to not back the Gordon Elliott horse to do something similar at Aintree on April 6.
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Pleasant Company was the horse to be denied victory by a narrow margin last year, but the 11-year-old has not challenged in either of his two races since that performance and the veteran can only really be classed as an outsider ahead of this race. Anibale Fly appears to be the best equipped to launch a challenge to Tiger Roll and can currently be had at 12/1. History suggests that the nine-year-old is at the perfect age to improve on a fourth-placed finish in the Grand National last year, while second position was achieved over a three-mile offering at Cheltenham earlier in March. The step-up in distance is a concern, but Anibale Fly stayed on well in the 2018 staging of this race and may have challenged the front two had he not been hampered earlier in the race.
There will naturally be interest in the return of One For Arthur, who won the 2017 Grand National. The Irish-based horse was unable to defend his crown last year, but punters will remember that a strong finish proved decisive two years ago. The main issue for admirers of the 10-year-old is that he has unseated his jockey on his last two appearances after a 609-day break. Neither mistake was made while challenging for the lead, but both races came at a shorter distance. One for Arthur may be worth a punt at betting odds of 33/1 if you believe in his stamina, but it is a selection which should be made with caution.
