Tiger Roll is going to Aintree... but not to the Grand National Monday 5th April 2021

Ryanair boss  Michael O'Leary is a man of his word. He runs Gigginstown Stud, the owners of Tiger Roll, the Grand National's double winner in 2018 and 2019.  O'Leary was already threatening to pull the big favourite out of the race in 2020 if the horse was given an unfair handicap. We never found out since the race was canceled owing to the epidemics. But the problem resurfaced in 2021. The weight and rating allocated to Tiger Roll by the Britsh handicapper were judged unacceptable by O'Leary: "The handicapper is totally wrong, and he has lost Tiger Roll and Easysland from the Grand National. This isn't just about Tiger Roll anymore."

Lots of fans were disappointed for losing the opportunity of seeing their favorite triumph for the third time in a row at the Grand National 2021. Tiger Roll would beat Red Rum's record with a historic hat-trick.  O'Leary had made it clear several times that he really cares for his star horse and that he will give his welfare priority. So he pulled Tiger Roll from the Irish National too, apparently for the same reasons. The 11-year-old will go to Aintree in the end but to compete in another race: the Grade 1 Betway Bowl over three miles and one furlong on the opening day of the Grand National meeting.

“He goes to Aintree for the Bowl. He came out of Cheltenham in great form." O’Leary said, and added: "Red Rum won his third Grand National when he was 12 after he was dropped seven pounds, but I suppose Tiger will have to wait until he's 17 to try and win his third by the way the English handicapper is carrying on."

If there had been any retirement ideas for a horse who is not so young, Tiger Roll's fifth Cheltenham Festival triumph made his owners forget all about them. He earned an impressive victory in the Cross Country Chase with jockey Keith Donoghue. Tiger also proved that Denise Foster as a trainer is absolutely up to the task of substituting Gordon Elliott, while he serves a six-month ban. Jockey Donoghue was clearly moved by the comeback of the Tiger, who had underperformed in several recent races: "It's unbelievable. If it weren't for this horse, I wouldn't be riding. Never underestimate the Tiger. We know the horse he is. He loved it, and that's the Tiger we see at home. He is just a legend."

The unusual detail about Tiger Roll now going to the Bowl is that his owners are still dissatisfied with the handicap. In other words, they expect him to be unable to win because of that "unfair" handicap. And O'Leary will in no way change his mind about that: "There is no humble pie, he is rated completely wrong. Okay, if he wins it, we will say we are wrong, but we have no regrets." Jack Kennedy could be the jockey chosen to ride Tiger Roll at the Bowl, but the decision has not been made yet.