Can J.P. McManus go one better at Aintree next Saturday?
All the talk has been on Willie Mullins and Irish domination, yet it was the story of the underdog in the Irish Grand National has Intense Raffles stole the show for Thomas Gibney. With Aintree's version just days away, punters will be hoping that Corach Rambler can provide another win for Lucinda Russell.
Another point of call was Any Second Now's magnificent run to take 2nd place. A horse who has twice finished in the frame at Aintree, he was arguably unlucky not to win the 2021 renewal after being badly hampered and it was good to see the 12 year old back on the big stage.
Although he won't be lining up for his fourth Aintree Grand National next weekend, owner J.P. McManus does have two high profile contenders and will hope they will be enough to steal the show. Here’s a reminder of the leading runners for the race:
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Grand National Runners
Corach Rambler - 5/1
Last year's winner returns to defend his crown off a 13lb higher mark. Although that seems a tall order, he is officially 3lb "well in" with his recent Gold Cup 3rd raising him to a rating of 162. Recent dual winner Tiger Roll defended his crown off the same mark of 159 and Lucinda Russell's stable star will hope to emulate him.
Although now aged 10 he is a year older than Tiger Roll and meets last year's 2nd Vanillier on 9lb worse terms for a 2 1/4 length defeat. Nevertheless, his Gold Cup win showed him to be in fantastic form and he has every chance of following up.
I Am Maximus - 9/1
Last year's Irish National winner I Am Maximus now bids to become this year's Grand National winner. This season he opened his account with a Grade 1 Novice chase win, making use of a technicality regarding novice status in Ireland.
He has since finished 4th and 3rd behind Galopin Des Champs in Grade 1's before winning again at his beloved Fairyhouse in the Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase. That run was a few days after the weights were revealed as to not affect his handicap mark and he runs off a mark 5lb below his revised one after that success.
His Grade 1 novice win at the start of the season was at Fairyhouse as well and it remains to be seen whether he can replicated his form away from that venue where he record is 1112. Another cause for concern is his lack of experience over these fences and at a single figure price he is opposable.
Vanillier - 10/1
As mentioned, last year's 2nd meets the winner on 9lb better terms and so, on face value, his 10/1 odds (best price on BetMGM UK) seem rather appealing. Yet, whereas Corach Rambler has finished 3rd in a Gold Cup and I Am Maximus has won a Grade 1 and a Grade 3, Gavin Cromwell's horse hasn't showed much in his four runs this term.
Although the first three were all over inadequate trips, his run at Fairyhouse was up to 3 miles and it was also after the weights had been published, meaning there was no reason to run poorly. Yet, even in receipt of 12lbs, he was left 14 lengths behind eventual winner I Am Maximus.
He now meets that winner on 4lb worse terms for that 14 length defeat, and although his 2nd in the race last year reads well, he needs to show he can fire a new top.
Panda Boy - 14/1
Having landed a major handicap hurdle as a five year old, it has long been thought that Panda Boy (ante-post fancy for Andy Holding) can win a big pot over fences. He has gone very close too, but to no avail. His handicap hurdle win was in Leopardstown's Christmas festival and in the last two years he has come 2nd and 3rd in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase in the same meeting.
This year's 2nd was behind subsequent J.P. McManus purchase and Ultima 3rd Meetingofthewaters and he returned to the venue at the Dublin Racing Festival to finish an admirable 4th in a handicap hurdle. That race would have protected his handicap mark over fences but he doesn’t look particularly well in off a mark of 146.
That is 6lb higher than his 5th in last year's Irish Grand National and 18lb higher than his handicap hurdle win as a five year old. He's only an eight year old and goes well in these big handicaps but others look better treated.
Kitty's Light - 14/1
At the start of the season Christian Williams said that Kitty's Light was being trained with one race in mind; the Grand National. Therefore, her form over the winter can be discarded, just as it can with most of the horses in the Williams yard.
Indeed, Kitty's Light himself had form figures of 66873 before rattling up a hat-trick of wins in the Eider Chase, the Scottish National and the Sandown Bet365 Gold Cup. The latter was off a mark of 140 and he now runs off a 5lb higher mark of 145.
Yet there is no doubt that the Spring is when he comes alive, and having gone three for three in marathon handicaps last spring, we have not yet reached the ceiling of this son of Nathaniel.
Mahler Mission - 16/1
Another who has been knocking on the door in some staying races of late. The most memorable may have been last season's National Hunt Chase where he fell two out after having scuttled clear of the field.
The eventual winner, Gaillard Du Mesnil, went on to finish 3rd behind Corach Rambler in this race too. This season he went ever so close again in the Coral Gold Cup, travelling powerfully throughout the race before giving way after the last to Datsalrightgino.
He lost both his front shoes that day and he goes well in spring ground having won a Grade 2 and a Listed novice hurdle on a sounder surface. He is a prominent racer and can travel well throughout the contest.
Meetingofthewaters - 16/1
A horse who has been at the forefront of the papers recently. Indeed, after his facile win at Leopardstown over Christmas, and a talking up in the Cheltenham preview circuit, the son of Court Cave was one of two pre-festival purchases by owner J.P. McManus.
Sent off a short priced 6/1 in the Ultima, he could only managed third that day, but that was on heavy ground on the tighter old course and he rallied well up the run-in. The step up to a marathon trip looks in his favour and he can go well from a mark of which he is 2lb well in.
