Reading businessman Max McNeill is preparing for Aintree with three card brag, hoping the horse can deliver in the Randox Grand National after finishing 11th last year. McNeill believes the horse’s current price underestimates his chance, even though he is listed as a major outsider for the race. The target is clear: a better run at Aintree, with McNeill saying this may be the strongest chance he has had in the contest.
McNeill wants a cleaner run at Aintree
McNeill, who grew up in Lancashire and has lived in Reading for several years, founded Ultima Business Solutions and built it into an IT business. He has already had three runners in the Grand National, and three card brag was one of them last year when he finished 11th for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott. This time, McNeill says the horse has matured and arrives in better shape after a season that has already delivered encouraging results.
At the time of writing, three card brag is rated a 66-1 outsider. McNeill rejects the idea that that figure tells the full story, saying the horse jumped well enough in the race last year but was too keen early and did not finish as strongly as hoped. He added that the horse has had another summer on his back and is now more exciting than before.
Strong season has lifted confidence
Three card brag has already shown his hand this season with a victory at Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting in October. He then followed that up with a second-place finish in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, a run McNeill sees as especially significant because it came in strong company and while giving away a lot of weight.
McNeill said the Newbury effort showed three card brag can compete at a high level, even though he was briefly interrupted by a mistake at the fourth-last fence. He also pointed to a later run on ground the horse disliked at Fairyhouse in the Bobbyjo Chase, where he still managed to finish the race. The message from the camp is simple: the horse has answered questions this season and remains in the picture for Aintree.
What the owner is saying now
“I don’t think I’ve ever had as good a chance in the Grand National as I do this season with three card brag, ” McNeill said. “He’s a bloody big price for Aintree and I think he’s been overlooked completely. ” He added that the horse was more mature this time and that the team had been planning another attempt since Sean Bowen dismounted him last year.
McNeill also said the race means a great deal to him personally, calling the National his favourite race and describing the prospect of a lively each-way chance as exciting. He said the horse will run in his colours this year, instead of the silks worn by the joint owners last season, and hopes that change will make a difference.
Grand National focus now shifts to race day
The horse is entered with Gordon Elliott again, and the key question is whether the season’s form can translate into a better result over Aintree’s unique test. The current market still treats three card brag as an outsider, but McNeill’s confidence has risen as the race draws closer in ET terms. For now, the story around three card brag is one of belief, form, and a businessman determined to see a long-held target come good at Aintree.
