Let’s leave aside all the business with War Of Attrition and Mouse Morris saying Hear The Echo wasn’t going to run etc – we have debated that on other threads – but do we think Hear The Echo can actually win the Grand National?

POSITIVES:
Young and improving: A lot has been written about the benefits of experience around Aintree but surely being an up and coming chaser must also count for a lot? At eight years old Hear The Echo should be in his prime

Won the Irish Grand National: The Irish Grand National has become a great trial for the Aintree equivalent with a number of horses running in both races. Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde won at Aintree and Fairyhouse.

Proven stamina and ability to go on good ground: His win at Fairyhouse illustrates his ability to go at least 3m 6f and it also showed good ground holds no fears for him. It also demonstrates that he has the class to win a race of this nature – how many other horses in this race would be able to win a race worth 100k?

NEGATIVES:

Jumping: For me this is the big sticking point. Hear The Echo has now fell or unseated four times in his career – a very large amount for a potential Grand National winner. On the positive side of that argument Fairyhouse is a very tough track to jump round and he managed that well last year so perhaps his jumping problems are largely behind him and his latest error was just a tired fall over a distance too short?

Weight: It’s well documented that horses with more than 11stone tend to fare badly in the Grand National although there is an argument that this might come to an end now we are getting better horses attracted to the race. However, 11 stone 5lb seems a hefty enough weight compared to another Irish Grand National winner Butlers Cabin who races off 10st 13lb.

These are just a few of the plusses and minuses about a very interesting (and controversial?) horse. But can he win a Grand National?

Tell us what you think?