Home / Horse Racing / 2010 Champion Don't Push It Shares Top Weight For Ascot With Neptune Collonges

2011 Grand National Weights: Joint favourites Ballabriggs and Niche Market's odds clipped in

The announcement of the 2011 Grand National weights has prompted a flurry of activity in the betting markets for the prestigious race at Ascot on April 9th. Current ante-post joint favourite Ballabriggs' odds were clipped in from 16/1 to 14/1 after he was allocated 11st, and Niche Market has been handed 10st 13lb and also goes to fourteens from sixteens with Victor Chandler.

The handicap nature of the race means that horses carry weights according to their previous form, so the top horses carry the top weights and the weights of the others are allocated in relation to this. Head of handicapping Phil Smith is allowed to use his discretion for the Grand National Weights and of the 101 entries this year it is 2010 National winner Don't Push It and Neptune Collonges who have been set at top weight of 11st 10lb.

Jonjo O'Neill's Don't Push It last year became the first horse to win the Grand National carrying more than 11st 5lb since Red Rum in 1977 and is likely to be ridden by AP McCoy again in April after their success together last year. It was McCoy's first Grand National win although Victor Chandler.com have eased his 11-year-old's chances of successive National wins out from 16/1 to 20/1 for this year's renewal.

Ballabriggs remains joint favourite for the race in the odds with VC Bet after winning a couple of novices hurdles in January, and fellow favourite Niche Market is Paul Nicholls' leading contender as he continues his search for his first Grand National win. Ruby Walsh could ride the 10-year-old, who came fifth in the Hennessy Gold Cup, as Nicholls has 10 entries for the race at this stage.

Nicholls' Big Fella Thanks is industry best priced odds of 20/1 with Victor Chandler and has been allocated 11st 1lb which is 3lb less than last year's race when he finished fourth. Nicholls also has Argento Chase winner Neptunes Collonges, who heads the weights with Don't Push It, but he drifted out from 33/1 to an industry best 40/1 with VCBet on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Oscar Time has been clipped in from 25/1 to 20/1 after being allocated 10st 9lb which is thought to be a useful weight for a horse that was a runner up in last year's Irish Grand National. West End Rocker was also shortened to 20/1 by Victor Chandler after Alan King's 9-year-old was allocated a weight of 10st 5lb. He won the Totesport.com Chase and a Newbury handicap chase earlier this season and is definitely one to look out for, as he is currently ante-post favourite for the Haydock Grand National Trial on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Welsh National winner Synchronised has been allocated 11st 6lb and drifted out to 28/1 from 25/1 as a result, and there is a general feeling that Jonjo O'Neill's 8-year-old relies heavily on conditions being right. Bluesea Cracker was also on the drift following the weight announcement as he was set at 10st 4lb and last year's Irish Grand National winner can now be backed at odds of 25/1.

Finally it looks like Don't Push It could have a difficult time in retaining his crown at top weight around the gruelling 4 and a half mile Ascot course and not forgetting the 30 fences to be negotiated, but once again it promises to be another exciting build up to the 2011 renewal with Ballabriggs and Niche Market leading the way in the betting.

Check out the complete list of entries and weights for the big race at Ascot in April at our dedicated Grand National mini-site.

Latest Grand National 2011 Odds

14/1 Ballabriggs
14/1 Niche Market
20/1 The Midnight Club*
20/1 Don't Push It*
20/1 Big Fella Thanks*
20/1 Oscar Time
20/1 West End Rocker
20/1 Notre Pere
25/1 State of Play*
25/1 Bluesea Cracker*
25/1 Merigo*
25/1 Chief Dan George
25/1 Majestic Concorde
28/1 Synchronised*
28/1 Midnight Chase
28/1 Becauseicouldntsee
28/1 Hello Bud
33/1 BAR

*Denotes industry best price. Odds supplied by VictorChandler.com bookmakers, who provide a variety of betting markets for the Grand National at Ascot on Saturday 9th April 2011.

Posted: Tuesday, 15th February 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: grand national, dont push it, ballabriggs, niche market, victor chandler,

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