Big Fella Thanks ~ 2010 Grand National Runner
The photo above shows jockey Ruby Walsh on board Big Fella Thanks
Big Fella Thanks went off at 14/1 in the 2009 Grand National, but unfortunately only managed to come 6th, proving yet again that seven year old horses don’t tend to win the National – the last one was Bogskars in 1940. He came in twenty-three lengths behind winner Mon Mome, and he had weakened from the second last.
He has had very little racing experience, so having achieved 6th place in the National he may prove to be top of the list for quite a few punters this year, already having antepost odds of 32/1.
Prior to the 2009 National he showed himself to be a promising stayer, when he got off the mark the first time over fences with a wide margined victory in a competitive handicap at Doncaster. The National is a whole different ball game for racehorses, so having achieved 6th place in 2009, it is likely that he will be campaigned by his stables and trainer Paul Nicholls, and pushed to rise up the handicap for 2010.
He is an extremely promising horse and even though he has only raced a handful of times, it is obvious that there is plenty of room for improvement. Length of the course has proved to be an issue for Big Fella Thanks, and courses on the shorter side tend to favour him.
Closing out the race is what challenges him, as could be seen in last year’s National, but Nicholls, being the trainer that he is, will have recognised and corrected this feature of Big Fella Thanks in time for the National in 2010.
