past winners

grand national 2010 / runners

1 (6) Don't Push It 10/1 (JF)
2 (4) Black Apalachi 14/1
3 (23) State of Play 16/1
4 (22) Big Fella Thanks 10/1 (JF)

[full result]

Big Guns Hold Sway for National
08/04/10

Past winners Mon Mome (2009) and Comply Or Die (2008) are among a maximum field of 40 declared for the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

Mon Mome
© racing-images.co.uk

There was not one withdrawal from the top 40, leaving connections of those horses, such as Whinstone Boy and Chief Dan George, just outside the elite set disappointed. The Howard Johnson-trained Abbeybraney is the last horse to make the cut.

There are, though, four reserves - 2007 winner Silver Birch, last year's fifth Cerium, Royal Rosa and Knowhere. They will fill any gaps should there be any non-runners announced before 9am on Friday. Silver Birch is, however, also engaged to run in the John Smith's Topham Chase on Friday.

Mon Mome was a 100-1 stunner 12 months ago when he defeated Comply Or Die by 12 lengths. The high-class duo will be joined by last year's respective third, fourth and sixth - My Will, State Of Play and Big Fella Thanks, the ante-post favourite.

Aiming for better luck is Black Apalachi, who fell at Becher's on the second circuit when in the lead last April. His trainer Dessie Hughes also runs Vic Venturi who, like Black Apalachi, has triumphed over the fearsome obstacles in the Becher Chase.

Mon Mome's trainer Venetia Williams has a second string to her bow in Flintoff. The nine-year-old, co-owned by England international cricket star Andrew Flintoff, was re-routed from Monday's Irish Grand National after being guaranteed a run at Aintree.

The Package
© racing-images.co.uk

Timmy Murphy has stayed loyal to Comply Or Die, leaving Graham Lee, successful on Amberleigh House in 2004, to partner owner David Johnson's other runner The Package. Their trainer David Pipe also saddles top-weight Madison Du Berlais, Pablo Du Charmil and Piraya.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has no less than five runners - Beat The Boys, Ballyfitz, Ollie Magern, Irish Raptor and Hello Bud - as he chases a third win in the big race.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has yet to taste success in the National and his main hopes are Big Fella Thanks, the mount of stable jockey and two-time National victor Ruby Walsh, and Tricky Trickster. Last year's winning jockey Liam Treadwell rides Nozic for Nicholls, who also has My Will.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained pair of Don't Push It and Can't Buy Time, both owned by JP McManus, are also engaged. McManus additionally has a leading contender in Arbor Supreme, trained by Willie Mullins, whose Snowy Morning is also well regarded.

THE 2010 JOHN SMITH’S GRAND NATIONAL

Class 1, Grade 3, £925,000 total Prize Fund. 4.15pm, Aintree, Saturday, April 10, 2010, four miles and four furlongs. For six-year-olds and upwards which are allotted a rating of 110 or more by the BHA Head of Handicapping following a review of the horses entered and after taking account of races run up to and including February 14, 2010. Horses which are not qualified for a rating in Great Britain or Ireland at February 2, 2010, may also be entered. Such horses may be eligible for a weight providing the Handicapper is satisfied that the horse's racecourse performances to February 14, 2010, would merit a minimum rating of 110. To qualify horses must have run at least three times in Steeple Chases run under the Rules of Racing of the same Recognised Turf Authority up to and including February 14, 2010. At the Handicapper's discretion such horses may be allocated a rating. The decision of the BHA Head of Handicapping shall be final. No penalties after publication of the weights. Highest weight 11st 10lb. Entries closed February 2, entries revealed February 3 (112 entries. 1 subsequently scratched), weights revealed February 16, first scratchings deadline March 2 (98 remain), second scratchings deadline March 23 (75 remained). Five-day confirmation stage April 5, final declaration stage 10.00am (65 confirmations), April 8. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Wednesday, April 7.

Form Horse Age/Wgt
Owner Trainer/Probable Jockey

1) 01-3244 MADISON DU BERLAIS (FR) 9-11-10
Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds II David Pipe/Tom Scudamore

2) 1-P3463 MON MOME (FR) 10-11-07
Vida Bingham Venetia Williams/Aidan Coleman

3) 211501 VIC VENTURI (IRE) 10-11-06
James Dunne Dessie Hughes IRE/Paddy Flood

4) 151U-02 BLACK APALACHI (IRE) 11-11-06
Gerard Burke Dessie Hughes IRE/Denis O’Regan

5) 5-50030 JOE LIVELY (IRE) 11-11-06
Richard Dimond Colin Tizzard/Joe Tizzard

6) 01-423P DON'T PUSH IT (IRE) 10-11-05
J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill/Tony McCoy

7) P002-00 COMPLY OR DIE (IRE) 11-11-05
David Johnson David Pipe/Timmy Murphy

8) 121-210 TRICKY TRICKSTER (IRE) 7-11-04
Chris Giles Paul Nicholls/Barry Geraghty

9) 1-03520 NICHE MARKET (IRE) 9-11-04
Graham Regan Bob Buckler/Harry Skelton

10) 2404P2 MADE IN TAIPAN (IRE) 8-11-04
Frances Duffin/Sean Corby Tom Mullins IRE/Niall Madden

11) UPP/-21P DREAM ALLIANCE 9-11-03
The Alliance Partnership Philip Hobbs/Tom O’Brien

12) FU-3644 CLOUDY LANE 10-11-03
Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain Jnr/Jason Maguire

13) 1P00-60 NOZIC (FR) 9-11-03
Coral Racing Ltd Paul Nicholls/Liam Treadwell

14) 53-2057 MY WILL (FR) 10-11-02
The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls/Nick Scholfield

15) 3606-4F PABLO DU CHARMIL (FR) 9-11-02
Joe Moran David Pipe/Danny Cook

16) 6-51110 BALLYHOLLAND (IRE) 9-11-00
Cathal McGovern Colin McBratney IRE/Andrew McNamara

17) 123130 BACKSTAGE (FR) 8-11-00
MPR & Capranny Syndicate Gordon Elliott IRE/Davy Condon

18) P-1P1PP BEAT THE BOYS (IRE) 9-11-00
New Club Ladies Nigel Twiston-Davies/Brian Hughes

19) 0-000U0 PREISTS LEAP (IRE) 10-11-00
John O'Donohue & Tom O'Leary Tom O'Leary IRE/Philip Enright

20) 103223 SNOWY MORNING (IRE) 10-10-13
Quayside Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE/David Casey

21) 14F-016 CAN'T BUY TIME (IRE) 8-10-13
J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill/Richie McLernon

22) 136-2U1 BIG FELLA THANKS 8-10-12
Maggie Findlay & Paul Barber Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh

23) 60/144-P STATE OF PLAY 10-10-11
William & Angela Rucker Evan Williams/Paul Moloney

24) 3301-00 CHARACTER BUILDING (IRE) 10-10-11
Patricia Thompson John Quinn/Miss Nina Carberry

25) 0-12100 ELLERSLIE GEORGE (IRE) 10-10-10
Guy Henderson Nick Mitchell/Christian Willlams

26) 2P5-011 ERIC'S CHARM (FR) 12-10-09
Martin St Quinton & Peter Deal Oliver Sherwood/Wayne Hutchinson

27) 2/0-0000 KING JOHNS CASTLE (IRE) 11-10-09
J P McManus Arthur Moore IRE/Paul Carberry

28) 43545U CONNA CASTLE (IRE) 11-10-09
Kings Syndicate Jimmy Mangan IRE/Sean Flanagan

29) 4P1540 BALLYFITZ 10-10-09
Fred & Wayne Mills Nigel Twiston-Davies/David England

30) 305467 OLLIE MAGERN 12-10-09
Roger Nicholls Nigel Twiston-Davies/Tom Molloy

31) 30-30U2 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) 8-10-08
J P McManus Willie Mullins IRE/Paul Townend

32) 02P-253 MALJIMAR (IRE) 10-10-08
Jane Williams Nick Williams/Daryl Jacob

33) 3-02312 THE PACKAGE 7-10-07
David Johnson David Pipe/Graham Lee

34) 0-33010 PIRAYA (FR) 7-10-07
Terry Neill David Pipe/Johnny Farrelly

35) U01-4U5 IRISH RAPTOR (IRE) 11-10-07
Caroline Beresford-Wylie Nigel Twiston-Davies/Paddy Brennan

36) 0PP/05-0 CERIUM (FR) 9-10-05
Judith Wilson Paul Murphy/Davy Russell

37) P6-1420 PALYPSO DE CREEK (FR) 7-10-06
Alan Halsall Charlie Longsdon/Tom Siddall

38) 035U00 HELLO BUD (IRE) 12-10-06
Seamus Murphy Nigel Twiston-Davies/Mr Sam Twiston-Davies

39) P63/52-P FLINTOFF (USA) 9-10-05
Andrew Flintoff & Paul Beck Venetia Williams/Andrew Tinkler

40)6/-33P5 ROYAL ROSA (FR) 11-10-05
Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson/Ryan Mania

RESERVES Cerium and Royal Rosa will run in Saturday's John Smith's Grand National after their respective stablemates - Mr Pointment and Abbeybraney - were declared non-runners by Friday's 9am deadline.

GOING LATEST 10/04/10

SUNNY weather and drying conditions on Merseyside has seen a change in the official going description at Aintree, which is now good, good to soft in places from good to soft, good in places earlier on Saturday morning.