McNeill, who initially hails from Lancashire however has lived in Reading for a number of years, based Ultima Business Solutions and turned it into an IT powerhouse. Despite his skilled success, the Grand National has remained a key private purpose. McNeill has beforehand entered three runners within the race, together with Three Card Brag, who competed in final 12 months’s version and completed eleventh for Irish coach Gordon Elliott.
At the time of writing, Three Card Brag is taken into account a 66-1 outsider, however McNeill believes the horse’s odds don’t mirror his true probabilities. “I don’t think I’ve ever had as good a chance in the Grand National as I do this season with Three Card Brag,” stated McNeill.
“He’s a bloody big price for Aintree and I think he’s been overlooked completely. He didn’t miss a beat jumping wise last year, he was just a bit keen early on and didn’t quite finish his race,” stated McNeill. “He’s a extra mature horse this time round and I feel he’s actually thrilling. He’s actually come on for one more summer time on his again and we actually consider he’s received an opportunity. We’ve had this in thoughts since Sean (Bowen) dismounted him final 12 months, to come back again and have one other go,” stated McNeill.
Three Card Brag has proven sturdy kind to date this season, starting with a victory at Cheltenham’s Showcase assembly in October. He adopted that effort with a second-place end within the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. McNeill stated these outcomes display his horse is succesful of being aggressive in high firm and instructed Three Card Brag’s close to miss at Newbury was particularly promising.
“He ran an excellent race to finish second at Newbury and could have given the winner (Panic Attack) something to think about while giving a stack of weight away that day if he hadn’t clobbered the fourth last,” stated McNeill.
“We gave him a break after that and ran him on ground that he absolutely hated at Fairyhouse in the Bobbyjo Chase, but he ran ok to a point and managed to finish the race,” stated McNeill.
McNeill is especially enthusiastic concerning the Grand National’s place in his private sporting calendar. “My favourite race is the National and to have a runner with a lively each-way chance is really exciting. He’ll be in my colours this year too (having carried the silks of his joint owners last year) and hopefully that makes all the difference!” stated McNeill.
While he seems optimistic for the approaching race at Aintree, McNeill has confronted challenges at one other main British soar racing occasion, the Cheltenham Festival. He continues to be trying to find a primary winner at Cheltenham. His report contains two seconds and 5 third-place finishers. This 12 months, Quebecois was third within the Ultima Handicap Chase, and No Drama This End was a crushed favourite within the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle.
No Drama This End, a six-year-old, beforehand received a Grade 1 contest at Newbury over Christmas and is scheduled to compete subsequent in Friday’s Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. Trainer Paul Nicholls has in contrast him to jumps racing nice Denman, and McNeill may be very a lot trying ahead to subsequent 12 months along with his cost.
“There were lots of different reasons (for his last run), so we’ve drawn a line through it. I’m looking forward and not back! If you said to me at the start of the season that he was going to win a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 before going to Aintree, I would have bitten your hand off,” stated McNeill.
“Once Harry (Cobden) realised it wasn’t happening for him he looked after him and that’s why we’ve got the chance to go to Aintree,” stated McNeill.
“We’ll see the best of him over fences, I know that’s a cliché but I think that’s what we’re all looking forward to, getting him over a fence and seeing what he can do,” stated McNeill.
McNeill’s horses run in blue and white silks impressed by his ardour for Blackburn Rovers, however the colours additionally reference Reading. “I let the kids pick the silks and to wind me up, my wife Paula and daughter Ella opted for a Reading inspiration. We have a soft spot for Reading, I used to sponsor them and my business is there,” stated McNeill.
“I used to travel up and down the M6 and all over the place to watch Rovers and when you’ve got kids it’s hard work, so I watched Reading quite a bit,” stated McNeill.
“The kids started to ask why they were supporting Blackburn when we were going to Reading all the time, so they put their flag to that really when picking the colours,” stated McNeill.
