A total of 52 horses have been entered for the 2022 The Boulton Group Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter Racecourse on Saturday 19th March. The feature race of the season at Uttoxeter, will be run over 4 mile 2 furlongs and a total prize fund of £150,000.
The Class 1 chase has once again attracted some of the top staying steeplechasers from across Britain and Ireland, with 18 entries carrying a BHA rating of 140 and above.
Two horses top the ratings, both rated 159. Paul Nicholls’ 12 year old Yala Enki has been a regular in staying contests around Britain, winning the Portman Cup at Taunton three years in a row. Nigel Twiston-Davies trains the popular grey Bristol De Mai, a three time winner of the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock. The 11 year old also placed third in the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The winners of the last two renewals of the Midlands Grand National are both entered and will hope to prove course form is an advantage. Truckers Lodge was the winner in 2020 when partnered by Lorcan Williams. Time To Get Up won in 2021 with Jonjo O’Neill training the winner ridden by his son, Jonjo Jr.
Another pair of notable horses with experience winning staying contests around Britain are the two former winners of the Welsh Grand National, Colin Tizzard’s Elegant Escape, who won in 2018 and the 2020 winner Secret Reprieve who is trained by Evan Williams. On both occasions Yala Enki finished 3rd in the feature race at Chepstow.
Trainer David Pipe has an outstanding record in the race, having won four times in a row between 2011 and 2014, and has entered a total of 4 this year, Romain De Senam, Gericault Roque, El Paso Wood and Gwencily Berbas.
Gericault Roque finished second in the Classic Chase at Warwick, the winner, Eclair Surf, trained by Emma Lavelle also holds an entry for the Midlands Grand National.
Four races from Uttoxeter will be broadcast by ITV Racing, including The Boulton Group Midland Grand
Uttoxeter Racecourse General Manager Brian Barrass commented, “We’re extremely pleased with this year’s 52 entries for the Boulton Group Midlands Grand National and once again it looks set to be another competitive race. I am also absolutely delighted to begin our 5 year partnership with the Boulton Group for the sponsorship of the Midlands Grand National. They are tremendous supporters of racing at Uttoxeter, and it gives me great pride to start this partnership with such a fantastic local brand.
“We are also delighted to welcome back the public to our biggest meeting of the year. Last year’s meeting was held behind closed doors and a raceday just isn’t the same without the roar of the crowd. Head over to the Rugby Marquee in the Centre Course before racing where we will have live music from Irish band, Radio Murphy. You can also enjoy the screening of the scheduled Six Nations matches, on a giant screen within the marquee.
We do still have a limited amount of tickets and Hospitality packages available. I look forward to seeing you all at Uttoxeter Racecourse for our premier racing fixture.
Tickets available here
