Daily Tipping 
/ Graham Cunningham / 13 April 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Will Ballabriggs follow up last year's victory by winning the Grand National again?
"Ballabriggs was simply brilliant in this race last year, attacking the big fences with real gusto from the start and forging clear of the well handicapped Oscar Time."
The 2012 Grand National is finally upon us and Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham feels last year's hero might be on the verge of another historic feat at Aintree this weekend.
They call it the worlds's greatest steeplechase with very good reason. You need to jump 30 formidable fences and stay four and a half miles thoroughly to go down in history as a Grand National hero.
Slowly but surely, the Grand National short list has been whittled down.
Shakalakaboomboom was at the top of it when the weights first came out, while Becauseicouldntsee and Always Right have been lurking on the fringes for at least a couple of weeks. However, as the big day dawns I've finally plumped for Ballabriggs and Giles Cross as my two against the field in this year's race.
In truth, there is no flash story behind backing either horse with a view to laying off to save the stake in running.
Ballabriggs was simply brilliant in this race last year, attacking the big fences with real gusto from the start and forging clear of the well handicapped Oscar Time as the pair drew well clear of the 2010 National winner Don't Push It.
Stats followers will point out that he's 10lb higher in the weights this time and that there hasn't been a back to back National winner since Red Rum in 1974.
But take another look back at the video of last year's race. Ballabriggs just looks an extremely good horse round this course and looks bound to give us a great run, while Giles Cross has eased in the market since the rain went away but looked an ideal Aintree type when winning at Haydock and is another with the potential to trade much shorter in running than his current big price.
As ever, the Aintree Hurdle is the chief supporting event on National day and this year's renewal promises to be a belter with Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby taking on last year's principals Oscar Whisky and Thousand Stars.
This looks a complex puzzle to solve from a punting viewpoint, but there is one other horse on Saturday's card who commands my attention. And the horse in question is Kazlian in the Handicap Hurdle at 17:05.
This unexposed gelding was high on my list of handicappers to follow at the Cheltenham Festival. However, his rider Tom Scudamore asked him a huge question in setting off so hard at the head of a huge field. Sectional times show that Kazlian went harder from the first flight to the third last in the Fred Winter than the top-class Overturn did in a truly-run Champion Hurdle.
It came as no surprise to see Kazlian find no extra when challenged up the hill that day, but he gave the strong impression that he's still firmly on the up and I'll be looking to snap up the best early price with a view to trading out at much shorter in running.
Saturday Recommended Bets
Back Ballabriggs and Giles Cross (16:15) and lay off to save the stake at [5.0] in running
Back Kazlian (17:05) and lay off to save the stake at [2.5] in running
Timeform run the rule over the runners for the most famous race in the world, the Grand National at Aintree......
A nicely priced outsider in the opening race on the second day of the Grand National meeting......
Timeform run the rule over the 2m4f Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday afternoon......
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