Grand National 2026

Addick Addict said:

PeanutsMolloy said:

Havaila by a nose under a peach of a ride
Our Power
Road To Home

Drew a blank with my fellas - apologies if you followed mine. 
A good season's punting nonetheless.
Have a great summer folks.

The very same to you PM. Thanks for your insight and postings as always.  

Cheers @Addick Addict
To be honest, I don't think I've ever been less bothered about a betting slip after those 2 goals. Crackers.

Just running the GN slide rule over HAVAILA, winner of yesterday's Bet365 and for whom the 2027 GN is, understandably, said to be his target.
He'll get a rise in his current 135 mark for sure on Tuesday morning though probably, given the close finish, shy of the minimum necessary to make the line up next April - particularly since Max's c173 mark next year will likely encourage a greater number of highly-rated rivals to take their chance with comparatively advantageous weights.
So he'll have to improve again next season to stand realistic chance of getting a run - maybe a spin in the Becher would make sense, as he handles soft ground.

His pedigree is very interesting for a GN though highly unusual, by my model's reckoning.

He's related to GN2nd Cause Of Causes via his 6th dam and he certainly ran yesterday as though 28f is his minimum trip.
He'd be the first GN runner for both his sire and damsire but his pedigree strength lies in an abnormally high number of GN-positive linebreeding components; to

• Wild Risk (x3 crosses to a son and daughter) and, separately, his grandson Blushing Groom, also via a son and daughter.
• The Timeform 144-rated Tudor Minstrel - a staggering 7 crosses via 2 sons and 3 daughters (shared with but stronger than all those of Aurora's Encore, Pineau De Re, One For Arthur (with whom he shares his 3rd damsire Kris), Tiger Roll, Noble Yeats, Corach Rambler and I Am Maximus, winning between them 9 of the 13 GNs since 2013 - only 8.3% of GN runners (41) were linebred to Tudor Minstrel.
• TF 138 rated Nijinsky (shared with multiple GN placers Anibale Fly and Iroko)
• Two Professional Chef De Race among his damsires (indicating stamina influence) - Vandale and (in common with his relative Cause Of Causes, who was also linebred to 2 such Chef De Race among his damsires) Admiral Drake. GN 2nds and 3rds Cappa Bleu, Teaforthree, Double Seven, Bless The Wings, Rathvinden, Vanillier were all linebred to 1 such Chef De Race among their damsires, as were other GN frame-makers Rare Bob, Rocky Creek, Goonyella, Milansbar and Santini.

He isn't descended from the Northern Dancer male line (which would be a first for a GN winner since 2013) BUT his Grand sire (Noverre - rarely seen in NH pedigrees) is very interesting - the presence of Wild Risk via both Blushing Groom and Le Fabuleux (another Professional Chef de Race and prominent on the damsides of both Tiger Roll and I Am Maximus), contributing powerful genetic synergies with Northern Dancer, who is Noverre's damsire.