Vic Venturi ~ 2010 Grand National Runner
The photo above shows jockey AP McCoy on board Grand National runner Vic Venturi.
Trained by Dessie Hughes and most recently ridden by Paddy Flood, Vic Venturi stole the show at the Aintree Beechers Chase in November 2009 setting him up nicely for the 2010 Grand National. The 3 mile chase was a real test of stamina as it took him over some of the most difficult fences in the UK including Beechers Brook and The Chair all of which he jumped with ease.
Age
Vic Venturi is the perfect age for the Grand National at 9 years old, he won't be ten until May 2010 so he really is in his prime for this kind of race.
Stamina
Even though he took the Beecher Chase it was over a mile shorter than the actual Grand National and though he didn't openly struggle at the end on another day a horse with more in the tank could edge him out over the last mile. He's never run in the Grand National before so it's anybody's guess if he can go the distance.
Weight
He generally carries a lot of weight in his races and in his last three in which he had two wins and a second he ran with 11-12, 11-12 and 11-8 so if he can go into the National with a lower weight than that, maybe as little as 11-00 then he has a really good shot.
Season So Far
Vic Venturi has a had a couple of quiet years where he really didn't perform to his full potential but the second half of 2009 has been terrific for him with two wins and a second from three starts, all of which he was ridden by Paddy Flood so that looks like a very good match.
Vic Venturi is a good solid horse that should be taken seriously if eventually entered into the 2010 Grand National. One thing to note though is that he seems to prefer and perform better on soft ground so check the going at Aintree on the day before you make up your mind on him!
