Grand National tips: Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond with her selections
This is the week that the eyes of the nation, both supportive or otherwise, turn to Aintree for the world’s most famous horse race - the Randox Grand National. I have many memories of the National, from both being there, or from collecting the cash, or for unpredictable drama.
Without doubt, one of the most dramatic came back in 1997. For those of you that can’t cast your mind back that far, or weren’t on the planet 26 years ago, that was the year of the bomb scare. It was all quite surreal. My memory recalls that no one panicked, and that we all filed out of the track as directed in light of a serious threat.
Many racing personalities were welcomed into homes of the locals and some of us were able to make our way home. I've read this week that it was the biggest evacuation of a sporting event in history, and thankfully it was done efficiently and ultimately without harm. Let’s hope this year’s race passes without incident.
The last time I was confident I’d found the winner was some time ago. I remember telling all and sundry that Amberleigh House was the one, and he duly obliged at 16/1 in 2004, I’ve been living off that for years! So, who wins this time round?
At the time of writing 50 horses have stood their ground, with the maximum set at 40. The 6/1 favourite with Sky Bet is Corach Rambler, who on the face of it looks to have plenty in his favour, particularly his weight of 10 stone 5lbs. Since the weights for this great race were published, he has gone up 10lbs in the handicap, so is “well in” on paper. Similarly to the chat on Love Island, “on paper” doesn’t always work in reality (or reality TV). His trainer Lucinda Russell is looking for a second Grand National win after One For Arthur in 2017.
Last year’s winner Noble Yeats is now 19lbs higher in the weights than he was for that 50/1 victory. He's 7/1 to repeat the performance and emulate recent dual winner Tiger Roll. Rummy still holds the bragging rights and probably always will given the changing shape of the modern National.
Delta Work is a gorgeous big horse and largely has been a class above most of his cross-country race rivals, including Tiger Roll when beating the dual National winner on his swansong at Cheltenham in March 2022. He was third in last year's National and is 1lb lower in the weights this time round. At 10/1 third favourite he makes my shortlist. His trainer Gordon Elliott has now won three and has plenty of horsepower to try again this year.
Willie Mullins won the Irish Grand National at the beginning of the week with I Am Maximus and has a handful of chances to complete an across the Irish Sea national double. One of the shortest of those in the betting is National Hunt Chase winner Gaillard Du Mesnil at 12/1 but there was some concern in the immediate aftermath, that the race may come too quick after his Cheltenham success.
He must be showing sparkle at home though, or else the Closutton maestro wouldn’t be coming here. He was third in last year’s Irish National and there’s plenty to encourage you with that sort of profile. Mullins has another 12/1 shot in Mr Incredible, but back him and you must be the sort of person that enjoys bungee jumping or wing walking!
He takes 'quirk' to a whole new level but if he takes to the race, could well be good enough to win it with just 10st 4lbs to carry, but that comes with a public punting wealth warning, so good luck if you’re rowing in with him. He could be transformed by this race though.
Sky Bet's Grand National Specials
What will the Grand National race winning distance be?
- Under 2.25 lengths - 13/8
- 2.25 Lengths to 5.75 lengths inclusive - 7/4
- Over 5.75 lengths - 13/8
Any Second Now is another 12/1 shot. He’s trained by Ted Walsh who was responsible for 2000 National winner Papillion. This horse has done brilliantly in being third and then second in the last two renewals of the race. He’s got to be even better in 2023 to make it third time lucky off his highest handicap mark yet. It seems unlikely but not impossible.
Another Irish-trained horse is last year’s sixth Longhouse Poet, and he trades at 14/1 to win it for trainer Martin Brassil who was victorious in 2006 with Numbersixvalverde. He faded in the race last year but hopefully his win at Down Royal last month has taken some of the extra twinkle out of his toes and he will settle better. He's on the same handicap mark as last year which gives him a shout.
The shortest priced English-trained runner is Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos for Dan Skelton, at 16/1. He’s only had three runs for his current yard and has looked like a dour stayer who should see out this extra distance.
It would be a wonderful story (and the National has a habit of throwing up plenty of those) if Galvin could win for Davy Russell. He was a close second to stablemate Delta Work in the Cheltenham cross-country race and whilst he’ll have to give weight to Delta Work, he should strip fitter for that run last month. Gordon Elliott said after his Cheltenham run that he would tighten up for the race and he has some classy form.
Galvin has been runner-up in a Festival novices’ handicap chase, is a National Hunt Chase winner and was fourth in the 2022 Gold Cup. So, he has the class, is with a trainer who knows how to ready one for this race and will be ridden (so I believe) by Tiger Roll’s partner, who will be looking for a third win in the race in the season he temporarily came out of retirement. I love watching Russell race ride, it’s like poetry, and this would be a memorable way to end his career. At 20/1 he offers each-way value.
Sam Thomas has proven himself to be adept at preparing horses for specific targets, including for prestigious staying chases. We have leading contenders representing Ireland, Scotland and England, and Our Power would be a very popular winner for Wales. There has been just one Welsh trained winner in the history of the race, and you have to go back to 1905 to find it. His name was Kirkland and he’d been placed in two previous Nationals before finally winning it.
Our Power has won four of his eight starts over fences and won at Kempton in February despite his yard being out of form at the time. It’s been a tough few months for Sam Thomas and owner Dai Walters after the pair were involved in a helicopter crash in November, with the owner in intensive care for some time. A win would be some tonic for all concerned.
Like Tiger Roll before him, Our Power is bred to race on the flat but has really come into his own since stepping up in trip over fences. He’s guaranteed a run now and will have just ten stone to carry. He’s an 18/1 shot with Sky Bet.
Nicky Henderson is yet to win a National of any type. In Mister Coffey he has a horse capable of running well but I don’t see him having the resolution for a gutsy battle as he seems to be polite and let one or two finish in front of him. He might run into a place though and is 33/1.
The Big Dog was third in the Welsh National before an unfortunate fall in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on his most recent outing in February. He was going well when tipping up there and if he can bounce back from that, is classy enough to make his presence felt at Aintree. He’s 25/1 and that could look like value if he can bring that top level form to the table. The more I look at him, the more I like him, and he is definitely on my shortlist.
One longshot that I’m going to throw into the mix is Francky Du Berlais at 100/1. He’s an enormous price but I like to chuck something in there that could make a very small each way wager a very good day indeed. Peter Bowen is a brilliant trainer, and at the time of writing Ben Jones is jocked up on the horse, and he rides these staying chasers well. The horse has successfully jumped round here on his three starts over the big fences and whilst I’m not sure he has the stamina required; he could show up well for some way.
That has covered plenty of bases, so here are six (in no particular order) that have made it onto my final shortlist:
- Gaillard Du Mesnil
- Galvin
- Le Milos
- The Big Dog
- Delta Work
- Our Power
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