Randox Grand National |
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| Grade 3 Handicap, Aintree 16:00 £1,000,000 guaranteed 7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1  |
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The Randox Grand National rarely needs much in the way of narrative, but this year’s renewal arrives with a familiar theme and a faint sense that the tide, if not quite turning, may at least be resisting the current.
For the best part of a decade, the race has been dominated by Irish-trained runners, a sequence that stretches back to Many Clouds’ victory in 2015, since when the scoreboard has read Ireland seven, Britain two, with Scotland adding Corach Rambler’s success in 2023. Last year the first three home were Irish; the year before, the first four. It has been, in truth, a period of sustained superiority.
And yet there is a growing murmur from the home team. Paul Nicholls has suggested momentum is edging back “towards us”, Ben Pauling has backed up his confidence with results, and Nicky Henderson, reflecting on a resurgent campaign, has stated “we have a lot of good horses over here”. Add in Dan Skelton’s relentless accumulation of big handicaps and the picture is at least more competitive than it has been.
Whether that translates into success in the National itself is another matter entirely.
🟢🟡 I AM MAXIMUS WINS THE 2024 GRAND NATIONAL FOR WILLIE MULLINS!pic.twitter.com/miUiI0GtWd
— Sporting Life Racing | Grand National tips (@SportingLife) April 13, 2024
At the head of affairs sits I Am Maximus, the 2024 winner and last year’s runner-up, a horse who has already proved himself uniquely suited to the demands of Aintree. His profile is that of a modern National horse: class, stamina, and the ability to travel comfortably through a race that continues to evolve tactically.
There had been some suggestion that Paul Townend might look elsewhere, with Grangeclare West emerging as a plausible alternative following his Bobbyjo Chase success, but connections appear confident that loyalty will prevail.
“I would be very surprised if Paul wasn’t riding I Am Maximus,” said Frank Berry. “He is in good form, Willie is happy with him and he looks our main one.
“He’s got the experience around Aintree and has also run well in some good races this year and with a bit of luck and a good round of jumping hopefully he will be there or thereabouts again.
“He’s been there and done it, and you never know in the National, but we think he goes there with a lot in his favour.”
It is difficult to argue with that assessment. Few arrive with such a complete set of credentials, and fewer still with proven effectiveness over these fences. The prospect of him joining the select band of dual winners, last achieved by Tiger Roll, is not fanciful.
Behind him, the McManus battalion is typically strong and intriguingly varied. Iroko, fourth last year, shaped as though a return to Aintree would suit, his Cheltenham disappointment later explained by a dirty scope. Jagwar, by contrast, is more mercurial — a fluent traveller but not always the most economical jumper — though notably well treated at the weights.
“I’m sure Harry will get on one of them (in the National) and we’ll see who gets there. There’s only a week to go, but they still have to get there in one piece and we’ll see what happens after that.
“We’ll have Oscars Brother and a couple more in there and we just hope to get them there in good form. I don’t know if Oscars Brother is well handicapped, but he ran a good race at Cheltenham and has come out of it well and that is half the battle.”
The British challenge, while numerically smaller, is not without interest. Haiti Couleurs stands out as a particularly compelling candidate, a Welsh National winner whose record in handicap chases is remarkably consistent. His profile — stamina assured, proven in big fields — aligns closely with past winners, and any further rain would only enhance his claims.
Others, such as Panic Attack and Twig, bring progressive profiles but face the dual challenge of rising marks and, in some cases, the uncertainty of making the final field. The margins are fine at this stage, and the cut can be as decisive as the race itself.
Joseph O’Brien’s ambitions appear to be crystallising around a two-pronged challenge, and while Jordans is already firmly pencilled in for Aintree, it is the potential participation of Banbridge that adds a layer of intrigue to the Owning Hill operation.
Jordans, a familiar face from last year’s meeting when second to Caldwell Potter in novice company, represents the more straightforward part of the equation. His target is set, his preparation aligned, and his place in the field assured. Banbridge, by contrast, remains a decision in waiting, his involvement dependent on owner Ronnie Bartlett, whose colours have been carried with distinction in the race by both Galvin and Stattler in recent years.
There is, however, a growing sense that Banbridge may yet take his chance, and O’Brien’s tone suggests a trainer increasingly persuaded by the case for participation. A King George winner with proven class, he brings a profile that is not immediately typical of a National contender, yet perhaps that is part of the appeal in the modern era.
“Jordans will run in the National and there’s a good chance Banbridge will as well – we’ll see what Ronnie wants to do, but it’s looking like it at the moment.
“Sean (Bowen) got off Banbridge at Cheltenham and said two-five is probably a bit short for him, but three-two would probably stretch him there, the pace they go.
“Three miles at Kempton is perfect for him. He ran well in the Ryanair, but was just flat out all the way. Personally I think he’d be interesting in the National. I’m not saying he’d win it, but he’d be a great ride in the race.
“If he got in a nice rhythm over the first three miles you see what happens from there. He’d probably be better off in an old-style National when they didn’t go as hard as they do now, but he’s good at Aintree and I think it will suit him.”
That reference to rhythm is key. The modern National, run at a more relentless tempo than in years gone by, places a premium on efficiency as much as stamina. Horses who can travel comfortably and jump fluently often find themselves in contention turning for home, even if their absolute reserves are open to question.
Banbridge, for all that he is not an obvious thorough stayer, possesses precisely that ability to travel within himself, and his Aintree form suggests he is well suited by the track’s demands. The question, as ever, is whether he can sustain it for long enough.
O’Brien is realistic, but quietly optimistic.
“It’s great to even run in these races, if you’re lucky enough to see one line up at less than 100-1, (then) you hope to have a clear run and hope for the best. I don’t think he’s a 100-1 chance, I think he’s about half that price, but I think he’ll run well. He does want top of the ground.”
Randox Health Grand National
Grade 3, £1,000,000 guaranteed
7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1
49 remaining entries
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
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