Stumptown, winner of the Cross-Country Chase who is following the Tiger Roll route to Aintree, has replaced Intense Raffles at the front of the market
Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer Gavin Cromwell who ruled hot favourite Inothewayurthinkin out of a Grand National challenge has regained the front of the betting market with one of his other challengers.
Bookmakers feared Inothewayurthinkin would become the shortest priced favourite ever for the £1 million contest if he challenged for the world famous race after he was cut to 3-1 after he ended Galopin Des Champs quest for a Gold Cup hat-trick.
Explaining his thinking the trainer said: “He’s only a seven-year-old, we’ve worked so hard on his jumping and it has improved all season, and we feel the right thing to do is not to run him in the Grand National.”
Last year’s Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles took over as favourite but support for Cromwell’s other Cheltenham Festival winner has seen the grey dislodged from that position.
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Cromwell still has six other horses entered in the big race including Stumptown, the seven length winner of the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham. Past winners of the Cross-Country include two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll while Delta Work finished second last year after triumphing in the same race.
Stumptown, the likely mount of Keith Donoghue, has been cut to 15-2 from 9-1 by William Hill. Intense Raffles is 9-1 with Iroko and last year’s winner I Am Maximus. Hewick is also 9-1 (from 12-1).
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “We reported the move for Hewick in the Grand National earlier in the week, but the money just continues to come for him. He had plunged from 25-1 into 12s, but he has been backed again and is now a 9-1 shot to give Shark Hanlon the biggest win of his career.
“There’s also a move at the very top of the market, with Stumptown now solo favourite at 15-2 from 9-1 for William Hill Ambassador Gavin Cromwell.
“He’s looking to emulate Tiger Roll in winning the National after landing the Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival, and he’s currently the worst loser in our book.
“We expect him to be a fan favourite after his Cheltenham heroics and him winning would be a terrible result for us next Saturday.”
