Grand National 2022: Burrows Saint Profile

Willie Mullins always has a strong hand in the big races throughout the jumps season and leading his team this campaign for the Grand National will be Burrows Saint. The 2019 Irish Grand National winner did not manage to get home in front in his previous attempt at Aintree last season but to rule him out would be folly in the 2022 renewal...

Burrows Saint

Age: 9 

Trainer: Willie Mullins

Chase Runs: 12

Chase Wins: 3

Burrows Saint is one of those horses in the jumps game that seems to have been around forever, yet is still in fact in his potentially prime years. At the age of just six he waltzed to 2019 Irish Grand National success at Fairyhouse when a well punted 6/1 favourite under Ruby Walsh. He looked set to attempt to claim the English version of the race the next season but after a New Years Eve outing at Punchestown in 2019 he was not sighted on a racetrack again for another 338 days, when reappearing at Clonmel. That performance (45L second) on heavy ground was easily explained away by his absence and he was then sent for a spin over hurdles to sharpen him up in the Galmoy.

In the aftermath of this race it was intimated by connections he would have one more chase run before attempting to finally claim Merseyside glory. He was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Acapella Bourgeois at Fairyhouse in late February 2021 and it was all systems go for his first attempt around Aintree. Sent off a 9/1 shot for the race, he jumped well and travelled strongly in the race, predictably looking cherry ripe for the day and like he was relishing the test. However, after looking like he would go strongly until the line after the third last fence his tank seemed to empty and he could not match the leaders, eventually finishing a tired looking fourth.

If another year under his belt can help him conserve his energy a little better then he should be bang there come the closing stages of this season's renewal and his jumping should again prove a real asset. His latest outing when brushed aside by Any Second Now as the 6/5 favourite in the BobbyJo Chase was disappointing, but we know he comes alive in Liverpool and so another strong showing is expected.