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Princess Anne and Family

High hopes for Zara Tindall’s horse Monbeg Dude in the 2015 Grand National

Monbeg Dude, the horse, partly owned by Zara and Mike Tindall is reportedly in good form and is ready for the 2015 Crabbie’s Grand National in April.

Monbeg Dude at last years Grand National where he finished in 7th place

Monbeg Dude at last years Grand National where he finished in 7th place

The horse’s trainer, Michael Scudamore, says it’s “all systems go” as the world’s most famous horse race gets closer and closer.

The Princess Royal and Zara Tindall attended the Grand National last year to cheer Monbeg Dude on, although he didn’t win; he finished in a respectable seventh place.

The 10-year-old bay gelding is in good form after finishing second in the at Chepstow in October and fourth in the Hennesy Gold up at Newbury in November.

He was most recently seen finishing in fourth place at the Welsh National in Chepstow at the end of December.

Monbeg Dude is part-owned by former England rugby player Mike Tindall and the Queen’s granddaughter, Zara.

Mrs Tindall allegedly called her then boyfriend, Mike, an ‘idiot’ for buying a quarter share in a ‘hopeless’ horse at auction for £12,000 over six years ago. However, Zara will have now almost certainly changed her tune.

Trainer Michael Scudamore said: “Monbeg Dude is in really good form and it is all systems go for Aintree. I have been delighted with him so far this season.”

Entries will for this year’s Grand National are not be finalised until the week before the big race. However, Monbeg Dude looks to be a leading entry.

One of Monbeg Dude’s most significant success as of yet is winning the 2013 Coral Welsh National. He ran again in the most recent Welsh national under Paul Moloney but had to be pulled up.

Princess Anne will be hoping her daughter's horse will be victorious in the 2015 race.

Princess Anne will be hoping her daughter’s horse will be victorious in the 2015 race.

The Royal Family have an unprecedented record in horse racing, but this one race has still not had a Royal winner since it began nearly 200 years ago. The Queen Mother came very close to winning the National in 1956 after her horse, Devon Lock, was racing towards the finishing line with yards to go. It seemed she couldn’t lose. Only she did lose after the horse belly-flopped on its stomach just yards from the finishing post.

The Grand National is attended by just under 100,000 people each year at Aintree. It is also watched by more than 600 million people in 140 countries, making it one of the most watched sporting events worldwide.

Photo Credits: Charlie Proctor © 2014