As the big race approaches it is Captain Redbeard, trained and ridden by father and son gaining support.
Captain Redbeard has accounted for 10% of bets on the Grand National market, causing his odds to fall from 50/1 to 33/1 over the last 48 hours.
The nine-year-old is part of a family operation that is led by owner and trainer Stuart Coltherd and his jockey son, Sam. The latter has risen through the ranks a rapid rate this season resulting in unexpected Aintree contention.
Captain Redbeard’s preference for shorter distances and better ground has meant his opportunities to race have been curtailed over the course of a cold winter.
That in turn led to Coltherd entering him in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock over the three miles on heavy ground, which he won with something to spare.
With the wet weather that has been affecting the UK over the last couple of weeks that performance has piqued the interest of punters across the country. That resulted in a follow up win at Ayr over heavy ground last time out.
It remains to be seen whether Captain Redbeard can stay the increased trip at Aintree but he has proved himself a progressive stayer and is certainly on an upward trajectory.
Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek said: “The upward trajectory of Captain Redbeard in testing conditions certainly makes him an interesting runner at Aintree.
“As with all of the runners, there have to be concerns over his ability to stay the trip and get around, but there is sound logic behind the gamble for Saturday's big prize.
