Horse Power: Time To Get Up can win the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter again

After the high of the Cheltenham Festival can win the Listed Boulton Group Midlands Grand National (An Open Handicap Chase) (3.35pm) for a second successive season at Uttoxeter on Saturday afternoon.

The feature at the Midlands venue is the first of four Grand Nationals over the next month.

The big one, the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse is in four weeks – with this year’s Scottish version coming for once the week before at Ayr and the Irish equivalent the week after in its traditional slot of Easter Monday (April 18).

While the Midlands version is one of the lesser Nationals, it still takes some winning and there has never been a dual winner. But Jonjo O’Neill’s 2021 hero Time To Get Up has shown he has what it takes and off just a 4lb higher handicap mark than last year, he can become the first to seal successive triumphs.

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One of the reasons there have been no horses winning a second time is generally the winners go on to contest the Aintree marathon the following year – although no horse has won both races.

Time To Get Up failed to qualify for the Grand National, so he will bid for a bit of his own history at Uttoxeter.

The nine-year-old is a good jumper and dour stayer – ideally suited to this challenge. Although he is up that 4lb in the handicap, he will carry a 1lb less than when winning last year due to the presence of Yala Enki at the head of the weights.

He has run just twice this season, finishing 11th of 13 over the Grand National fences in the Grand Sefton Chase – a race which was much too short for him at 2m4f.

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