Randox Grand National
Grade 3 Handicap,
Aintree 17:15
£1,000,000 guaranteed
7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1   
Saturday 15th April 2023

1 Corach Rambler 8/1F
2 Vanillier 20/1
3 Gaillard Du Mesnil 10/1
4 Noble Yeats 10/1
5 The Big Dog 12/1
39 ran NR: Escaria Ten Distances: 2¼l, 4¾l, 1½l
Time: 9m 10.62s (slow by 6.62s)

Corach Rambler was a superb winner of the Randox Grand National for trainer Lucinda Russell and jockey Derek Fox.

Successful at last month’s Cheltenham Festival, the nine-year-old was kept out of trouble throughout after starting as the 8-1 favourite, in a race that was delayed by around 15 minutes after protestors from Animal Rising got on to the track.

He jumped into the lead over the last and pulled away when passing the elbow, holding off a closing Vanillier with Gaillard Du Mesnil third and last year’s winner Noble Yeats running a gallant race under his big weight in fourth.

It was a second victory in the world’s greatest steeplechase for Russell and Fox, after One For Arthur in 2017.

Trainers Quotes

Russell said: “Those guys that went out to protest on the course, they think it’s about horse welfare but that horse loves the sport. He loves everything that he does. He’s kept in the best condition and I’m just so delighted that he can run in a race like that and perform like that. 

“He has got greatness and it’s what he deserves. Corach Rambler, in our hearts, is just the best horse. Now in the public hearts he is as well. To win the National, I know how important it is, I know how it changed my life with (One For) Arthur – for Corach to achieve that too is just fantastic. 

“It’s all about the horse, for me it’s not about the betting – though I did back him and quite a lot actually!

“I hope those guys who were protesting will look at our website and our Facebook posts and see how they are looked after. It is so important they understand how we care for them every inch of the way. 

“It is about Corach, he is just amazing. He took to those fences brilliantly, he understood them, he worked them out – he loved it.”

FormRatings

Fox had sat out the first two days of the meeting in order to recover from injury in time to ride Corach Rambler.

He said: “He is just the most wonderful thing ever, he deserved to win this. I got a fall last week and banged my shoulder, it was far from ideal. I was worried all week, I thank God I was back in time because it was the thrill of my life to ride him. 

“It’s thanks to the support of Lucinda and Scu (Peter Scudamore, assistant trainer and Russell’s partner) for having the faith in me to put me up after not riding all week. I feel very lucky to be working for these great people.

“I think he’d the profile and he’s loads of class – I just can’t believe it.”

QuinnBet

Randox Health Grand National
Grade 3, £1,000,000 guaranteed
7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1
39 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1      Corach Rambler 9 10-5 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 8/1F
2 2¼ Vanillier 8 10-6 Gavin Cromwell Sean Flanagan 20/1
3 4¾ Gaillard Du Mesnil 7 11-0 W P Mullins Paul Townend 10/1
4 1½ Noble Yeats 8 11-11 Emmet Mullins Sean Bowen 10/1
5 nk The Big Dog 10 11-5 Peter Fahey Aidan Coleman 12/1
6 1¼ Born By The Sea 9 10-2 Paul John Gilligan Phillip Enright 50/1
7 3¾ Roi Mage 11 10-8 Patrick Griffin Felix De Giles 33/1
8 12 Mister Coffey 8 10-4 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 33/1
9 2¾ A Wave Of The Sea 7 10-6 Joseph O'Brien Shane Fitzgerald 66/1
10 7 Le Milos 8 10-11 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 12/1
11 19 Our Power 8 10-2 Sam Thomas Sam Twiston-Davies 25/1
12 3¼ Enjoy D'Allen 9 10-5 Ciaran Murphy Simon Torrens 50/1
13 7 Fortescue 9 10-2 Henry Daly Hugh Nugent 100/1
14 20 Carefully Selected 11 11-1 W P Mullins Michael O'Sullivan 50/1
15 ½ Minella Trump 9 10-6 Donald McCain Theo Gillard 50/1
16 20 Francky Du Berlais 10 10-2 Peter Bowen Ben Jones 125/1
17 ¾ Ain't That A Shame 9 10-5 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 10/1
FELL Sam Brown 11 11-4 Anthony Honeyball Jonathan Burke 66/1
FELL Hill Sixteen 10 10-2 Sandy Thomson Ryan Mania 80/1
FELL Fury Road 9 11-6 Gordon Elliott Jonjo O'Neill Jr 33/1
FELL The Big Breakaway 8 10-10 Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell 40/1
PU Any Second Now 11 11-12 T M Walsh Mark Walsh 14/1
PU Back On The Lash 9 10-2 Martin Keighley Adam Wedge 22/1
PU Coko Beach 8 11-0 Gordon Elliott Harry Cobden 28/1
PU Dunboyne 8 10-2 Gordon Elliott Jack Tudor 50/1
PU Cape Gentleman 7 10-8 John Joseph Hanlon Jody McGarvey 100/1
PU Capodanno 7 11-5 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 22/1
PU Velvet Elvis 7 10-6 Thomas Gibney Darragh O'Keeffe 25/1
UR Delta Work 10 11-4 Gordon Elliott Keith Donoghue 11/1
UR Darasso 10 10-13 Joseph O'Brien L P Dempsey 100/1
UR Cloudy Glen 10 10-4 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 80/1
UR Diol Ker 9 10-8 Noel Meade Kieren Buckley 100/1
UR Eva's Oskar 9 10-2 Tim Vaughan Alan Johns 50/1
UR Galvin 9 11-11 Gordon Elliott Davy Russell 22/1
UR Longhouse Poet 9 11-0 Martin Brassil J J Slevin 20/1
UR Lifetime Ambition 8 11-3 Mrs John Harrington Sean O'Keeffe 33/1
UR Gabbys Cross 8 10-2 Henry De Bromhead Peter Carberry 50/1
UR Recite A Prayer 8 10-2 W P Mullins Jack Foley 80/1
UR Mr Incredible 7 10-4 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 14/1
NR 16 Escaria Ten 9 10-10 Gordon Elliott NON RUNNER