2012 Grand National by Ginger McCain, the father of Ballabriggs' trainer Donald McCain, Jr. Among the early favourites for the race – alongside Ballabriggs – were Junior (trained by 2008's winning trainer David Pipe), Synchronised (the winner of the Lexus Chase on 28 December 2011 and later the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup), Weird Al (winner in the October 2011 Charlie Hall Chase), and Midnight Chase (first in the Cotswold Chase on 4 February 2012). Synchronised was attempting to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win both the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year. Handicap weights were
Little Owl (horse) useful horse on the flat before switching to the jumps for trainer Ryan Price. His most notable efforts were winning the 1961 Triumph Hurdle and finishing fourth in the 1962 Champion Hurdle. A successful jumps sire, his leading progeny included Little Polveir (1989 Grand National), The Thinker (1987 Cheltenham Gold Cup), Ballyross (1978 Powers Gold Cup) and Canton (1983 Scottish Grand National). His dam, Black Spangle, was a lightly raced half sister to Little Tom - a prolific jumps winner in Ireland and France while her dam, Spangle, was a seven-time winner over hurdles. Little Owl's siblings were pointers and