Any Second Now Given Top Weight For 2023 Grand National

2022 Grand National runner-up Any Second Now is one of three horses that has been given top weight for the race in 2023. The official handicapper has now announced each of the remaining 81 runners’ weight allocations for the world’s most famous steeplechase.

Any Second Now, Conflated, and Hewick all have a rating of 167, which means should they line up in the Grand National, they will have 11st 12lb on their backs. No horse since Red Rum in 1974 has won the race with that much weight.

Any Second Now At Top End Of Betting Despite Weight Allocation

Trained by Ted Walsh, Any Second Now will need to reverse his form with Noble Yeats, who finished just over two lengths ahead of him in his success in 2022. He is at the top end of the ante-post market at +1400 in the Grand National betting, which is one of Paddy’s horse racing markets for the final month of the jumps season. Conflated and Hewick are +1400 and +2500 respectively in the betting on Grand National 2023. They have both been victorious on their last appearances on the track. Conflated won the Grade One Savills Chase, while Hewick landed the Grade One Grand National Hurdle Stakes in the United States.

Defending Champion Given 11st 11lb

Noble Yeats will need to carry 11st 11lb on his back this year if he is to repeat what he achieved at Aintree in 2022. The defending champion is now rated at 166 in the official ratings. He has had an excellent season over fences, with victories coming at Aintree and Wexford, with the pick of those wins being his success in the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase.

Emmet Mullins’ runner is now eight years old, but despite that young age, he has had 12 appearances over fences. The Irish horse was third of five runners on his latest outing in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

As reported by the BBC, Noble Yeats was spectacular around the Grand National course in 2022. He is joined in the weights by Galvin, who will also have to carry 11st 11lb. The former Savills Chase winner has an excellent record over fences where many of his appearances have come in Grade One contests. 

Vanillier Lowest-Rated Runner in Field

A maximum field of 40 runners will take part in this year’s Grand National. The horse which was revealed as the 40th horse on the list at the Grand National weights, and the last to be guaranteed a place in the field in 2023, was Vanillier.

Trained by Gavin Cromwell in Ireland, Vanillier has a weight allocation of 10st 6lb. The former Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner has won just one of his nine races over fences, with his sole victory coming in the Grade Two Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown, as covered by The Irish Field.

Just below Velvet in the Grand National weights list is Velvet Elvis. Connections of the seven-year-old will be hoping at least one of the current 40 runners withdrawals from the race for their horse to book his ticket for the event. The final field for the 2023 Grand National will be announced on April 13. The big race will then take place 48 hours later on April 15.