Snow Leopardess might be the most intriguing horse to watch for the Grand National after a strong run of form ahead of the prestigious event at Aintree Racecourse.
Charlie Longsdon’s charge has won all three of her races in the 2021/22 campaign and is bidding to become the first mare to win the National since Nickel Coin triumphed all the way back in 1951. In total, 13 mares have won the Grand National, but none have achieved the feat in the modern era.
An exciting morning spent in Lambourn! Final preparations are underway 🤞 #snowleopardess #grandnational pic.twitter.com/WDOUWWh59h
— Charlie Longsdon (@CharlieLongsdon) March 26, 2022
That is the challenge ahead of Snow Leopardess at Aintree where she will face a talented field and a daunting four miles of action. You can find odds in a bet on Grand National today for Snow Leopardess at 9/1 to win the event, which would be a remarkable achievement. However, for the mare and Longsdson to enter the winners’ circle at top of the 2022 Grand National racing results, they will have to overcome a talented field, including the 2021 winner Minella Times along with the excellent Delta Work and Any Second Now.
Snow Leopardess has excellent form to take into the event, which should be a compelling watch as she attempts to make history. It would be fitting for the first mare to win the Grand National in 71 years to achieve it just one year after the first female jockey triumphed with Rachael Blackmore guiding Minella Times to victory last term.
Longsdon’s charge competed at Aintree last season in a different handicap race, but was off the pace in the event placing down in sixth as Happygolucky claimed the win. She returned to action for the start of the campaign at Bangor-on-Dee in the Weatherbys Handicap Chase, and was considered one of the leading contenders for the victory.
With Aidan Coleman in the saddle, Snow Leopardess clinched a comfortable victory ahead of a decent field, finishing two-and-three quarter lengths ahead of Windsor Avenue. The grey mare returned to Aintree for the Becher Handicap Chase in December 2021 and again rose to the occasion with a splendid performance.
Coleman in the saddle ensured she was smooth over the fences, and when the time was right, able to pull away from the pack. Pressure came down the stretch from Hill Sixteen, but both Snow Leopardess and Coleman displayed resilience under pressure to fend off the approach to secure the victory by the finest of margins.
The 10-year-old faced one more test ahead of the National when Longdon put her forward for the Mares’ Chase at Exeter. Jonathan Burke took to the reins on this occasion, but the result was emphatic, as Snow Leopardess put down a dominant display to canter over the line to deliver her third victory in a row.
Snow Leopardess is not only looking to become the first mare to win the National since 1951, but she will also be bidding to become only the fourth grey to triumph. Neptune Collonges was the last successful grey in 2012, and The Lamb and Nicolaus Silver were the only others. There is a lot of history working against Longsdon’s charge, but she certainly has plenty of strong attributes on the track to create a lasting legacy at Aintree.
Jack Timms is an independent writer with 8 years experience in writing sports articles for various magazines and newspapers. Most of his work is on horse racing or football, and he has written for magazines such as Thoroughbred Racing and Luxuria Lifestyle. Jack lives in York with his dog, Poppins.
