When the weights for the National were released in February, Monbeg Genius was among the favorites, having completed a solid preliminary trial for Aintree in early December when it finished a noteworthy 10-length third in the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury. Nevertheless, earlier this month, he performed unfavorably in two consecutive outings, one at Kelso and the other at the Cheltenham Festival. By Tuesday morning, his odds had dropped to approximately 40-1.