How To Bet £20 ante-post on the Betfred Grand National Trial

How To Bet £20 ante-post on the Betfred Grand National Trial

By Andy Stephens
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
The Two Amigos has plenty going for him in the Betfred Grand National Trial on Saturday and looks worth a punt at the general 10-1 on offer.
The stout staying 11-year-old, one of 17 possibles left in the Haydock feature after Monday's latest confirmations, has been a fine flagbearer for Nicky Martin’s small Somerset yard and gave his connections a day to savour when winning the Welsh Grand National in decisive style at Chepstow in late December.
He wasn’t winning that prestigious prize out of turn, having run well in two previous renewals.
The Two Amigos has also been a regular in the Haydock Grand National Trial. He was going well when falling at the fourteenth in 2019; was fourth 12 months later when not getting home in bottomless ground; plus was a fine third off a mark of 144 in 2021.
The Two Amigos has plenty going for him at Haydock (focusonracing.com)
He is now 12lb lower in the ratings, despite having gone up 5lb for his triumph at Chepstow. That rise looks lenient, not least because The Big Dog, who finished third at Chepstow, has subsequently put up a bold show in the Irish Gold Cup – he would have almost certainly finished in the frame but for falling two out – and Musical Slave, the last of seven finishers, has since won a competitive race at Exeter.
The Two Amigos has struck up a good partnership with 5lb claimer David Prichard and, provided top weight Bristol De Mai stands his ground, will have a featherweight to carry.
Moreover, the present good going coupled with the weather forecast, predicted to be dry until midweek, suggests the ground is unlikely to be deep, which it often is at this meeting (five of past seven renewals have been run on heavy). That will also be in favour of The Two Amigos and he can emulate Miko De Beauchene, who pulled off the Welsh National/Haydock Grand National Trial double 16 years ago.
This year’s renewal is unusual in that the weights for the Randox Grand National weights will not be announced until after it has been run. As a consequence, runners engaged in the Aintree showpiece will face a hike in the weights should they win or run well. Or vice versa, of course.
First prize at Haydock is a not insignificant £56,000 but the Grand National is the stuff of dreams and carries a winner’s purse of £500,000. With that in mind, I’d be wary of backing such as Fiddlerontheroof, Quick Wave and Cloudy Glen, who will almost certainly jeopardise their chances at Aintree if they distinguish themselves.
The Two Amigos will not be running at Aintree and, like at Chepstow last time, this represents a Cup final for him.
Movethechains, declared for Lingfield on Tuesday, finished a remote fifth in the Welsh National, while Quick Wave, Time To Get Up and Fortescue were all pulled up. It’s not easy to see that quartet turning the tables, although the unpredictable Fortescue would be a player if on a going day and showing up here (he's also in a £100,000 race at Ascot on Saturday, which he won last year).
Bristol De Mai has a fabulous record at Haydock and is 5lb lower in the ratings than when runner-up in last year’s renewal (subsequently awarded the race on a technicality). However, he seems unlikely to get the deep ground he relishes and it is surely no coincidence that the last 12-year-old to win this race was back in 1958.
Bigger threats could be Small Present and Saint Xavier, even though they are languishing just outside the weights proper as things stands.
Small Present is a two-time winner at Haydock over hurdles and remains unexposed over fences, while Saint Xavier was a good winner over an extended 3m 1f at the Lancashire venue in November - when he had The Two Amigos back in third - before not looking at home at Sandown last time.
He faces no easy task confirming his superiority on the revised terms over this longer trip but, equally, the 25-1 on offer probably underestimates him. So I’ll be having a small each-way play on him, too.
How To Bet £20 ante-post on the Betfred Grand National Trial
£10 win and £3.50 each-way on The Two Amigos at a general 10-1
£1.50 each-way on Saint Xavier at 25-1 with bet365
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