Tiger Roll is set to feature in the Grand National once again in the 2020/21 National Hunt campaign. He will be bidding to become only the second horse in history to win the world’s most famous steeplechase for a third time.
Gordon Elliott’s runner won the Aintree feature for the first time in 2018 when he scored by just a head. 12 months later, he became the first back-to-back winner since Red Rum in 1974, but on that occasion, the margin of victory was just under three lengths.
Tiger Roll featured just twice on the track last season. The horse racing results from Paddy Power show that he finished fifth in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan on his first outing of the campaign. This race was used to sharpen him up ahead of the Cheltenham Festival a month later.
There was no repeat success for Tiger Roll in the 2020 Cross Country Chase as he had to settle for second place behind the cross country specialist Easyland.
Where Will Tiger Roll Begin New Season?
Tiger Roll is expected to appear much earlier this season as he has recovered from the injury which kept him off the course in the early stage of the previous campaign. Elliott hinted that his first assignment could come on the flat. The Grand National twice-winner has featured in a flat race before, as he was second at Dundalk in 2016.
The Champion Chase at Down Royal is also on the Irish trainer’s radar. That contest takes place over 3m. It has been won three times by Elliott, with his most recent success coming in 2017 with Outlander.
There is also the option of the Open Meeting at Cheltenham in November. His involvement at all three of the above may depend on how much rain falls over the next couple of months.
Could the Gold Cup Be an Option in 2021?
According to Will Smith Racing Tips, Tiger Roll has had a rating over the last few years which indicates he is good enough to run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Connections have, however, opted against the Blue Riband event at the festival.
The distance between the Gold Cup and Grand National in what has put Elliott off running in both races. The former is such a tough race to win that it would almost certainly take a lot out of his runner ahead of Aintree.
Golden Miller is the only horse in history to win both races in the same season. He achieved that feat in 1934. Given the success he has had in the Cross Country Chase in the past, that is probably the most likely race Tiger Roll will line up in at the Festival in 2021. The 10-year-old is 5/1 to reverse the form with Easyland this season and win the unique contest for a third time.
Fans of Tiger Roll will be very excited to see him return over the next few weeks. They will be hoping he can join Red Rum by winning the Grand National for a third time, something which will ensure he ends his career as one of the all-time great National Hunt horses.
