Neil Mulholland's Impulsive Star was popular amongst the horse racing tipsters on Saturday and was a battling winner of the Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick and the Robert Waley-Cohen-owned gelding was slashed from 66/1 to 33/1 for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on April 6.
Sent off an 8/1 shot, Impulsive Star travelled smoothly for Sam Waley-Cohen, who had to get below 10st to reach his allotted weight for this test, and the pair produced a tremendous late surge to fend off Calett Mad and Crosspark, who chased home the winner all the way to the line.
The Waley-Cohen team have a sensational record over the Aintree fences with Sam, in particular, having ridden some sensational horses over the Aintree fences with Liberthine and Oscar Time just a brace of memorable performers on Merseyside, but Impulsive Star showed tremendous guts and stamina to claim victory in this prize, and he could be destined with a date at Aintree in a few months for the coveted National prize.
Second place Calett Mad also took the bookmakers' eye in today's Classic Chase and he was also cut from 66/1 to 33/1 for the world's greatest steeplechase, and it would be no surprise to see the pair do battle in the Grand National at the end of the National Hunt season, and with both competitors oozing stamina then the four-miles-plus distance shouldn't prove any issues whatsoever and both should stand a notable chance.
Last year's Grand National hero Tiger Roll is a prominent figure in the latest ante-post betting for the 2019 Aintree marathon, but today's Classic Chase should through up some potential rivals to the Gordon Elliott-trained star.
