Grand National 2023

Corach Rambler 

  • Trainer: Lucinda Russell 
  • Odds: 7/1 (favourite) 

 

While the Cheltenham Festival might be done and dusted for another year, the results have had a major impact on the Grand National market.

Lucinda Russell’s CORACH RAMBLER, the current 7/1 favourite, had already attracted plenty of punters attention for the biggest race in the National Hunt season on the oddschecker grid prior to his phenomenal performance in winning the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival for the second consecutive year. 

While he only won by a neck, the winning margin wasn’t a true reflection of his success when putting his performance into some context. In many similarities to how he was ridden last year, Derek Fox held him up in mid-division, slightly closer to the pace this time and crept his way into contention from the fourth last fence. 

When the pair turned into the home straight, he still had a few lengths to make up on a few principles who were in front of him but when they jumped the last fence, he found his customary late gear to power in between Fastorslow and Monbeg Genius to take up the running and stay on strongly to lift the prize for Scotland again. 

Inevitably, there were many good rides and performances throughout the four-day fixture but this was right up there as one of the finest rides and performances. It was a well-judged ride by Fox and, additionally, he had a willing partner to assist. 

The nine-year-old will bid to give Russell and husband/former jockey Peter Scudamore another chance of landing a second Grand National success. There is plenty of resemblance between himself and One For Arthur, especially their profiles, and the latter won the big one at Aintree in 2017 for connections when partnered by Fox. 

His only previous outing over a trip further than three-miles-one-furlong saw him finish fourth in the Classic Chase at Warwick over three-miles-five-furlongs, where he stayed on well to finish fourth, so the whole surroundings in this stiffer test of stamina could suit and his chances in the world’s most famous steeplechase next month are transparent. 

Corach Rambler has been backed in more than 8% of the Grand National betslips through oddschecker since the start of the Jump season in October.

Noble Yeats 

  • Trainer: Emmet Mullins 
  • Odds: 8/1

 

The defending champion NOBLE YEATS will head to the Grand National on a 19 pounds higher mark than when he won the race last year but it’s unsurprising given the form he has produced this season, including last time where he came from the clouds to finish like a steam train in fourth having been badly outpaced at one stage. 

Almost 12 months ago, he provided jockey Sam Waley-Cohen with a fairytale send-off, who concluded his riding career with success in the Grand National. His mount was sent off 50/1 SP as a big outsider, but he jumped and travelled beautifully and won comfortably by more than two lengths. 

He ran a perfectly-respectable trial race for this in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the 15-length defeat margin that day didn’t really do his actual performance any justification, as he basically got going far too late when the race was practically over, finishing best of all, and he couldn’t have shaped any better with a view to coming back to Liverpool to defend his crown. 

By contrast, when delving into previous winners of the race, it is understandably going to be difficult for him to win the race back-to-back now he is much higher in the weights, but the fact that he has been there and done it gives him a fighting each-way chance. 

He has been persistently popular this season and rightfully takes his place in the top two, with more than 5.5% backing from the oddschecker community.

Delta Work 

  • Trainer: Gordon Elliott 
  • Odds: 12/1 

 

The Gordon Elliott-trained 10-year-old DELTA WORK will travel back to Aintree for another tilt at the Grand National next month having won the Cross Country race at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in a row, after he beat stablemate Galvin in what was another thrilling finish to the unique contest. 

Jack Kennedy was unfortunately sidelined with a broken leg but Keith Donoghue took the ride, who had won the race three times in the past, and his mount was always towards front rank.

Leading at the second last, the only danger was Galvin and while his stablemate threw down a challenge as the pair battled down the home straight, Delta Work found plenty in reserve inside the final 100 yards to draw clear and succeed. 

He finished a fine third in the Grand National last year behind Noble Yeats and Any Second Now on ground that was plenty quick enough and is sure to have learnt a lot from that experience. Horses who run well in the National first time round tend to come back and do well again and he could easily be another horse to do just this for a stable that has a great record in the race. 

He is a best price 12/1 to go two places better this year and on the back of his latest performance, there’s reason to believe he can do so granted a clear round. He is well weighted this time plus he is better off at the weights with the front pair from last year, hence why he is so popular for punters and is part of the five most backed horses. 

5.3% of the bets on the Grand National winner market through oddschecker since the start of the season have gone the way of Delta Work.

Mr Incredible

  • Trainer: Willie Mullins 
  • Odds: 14/1

 

While it is crystal clear the star power Willie Mullins has in his yard, who has mopped up most of the best races at the Cheltenham Festival and other prestigious events nearly each season, it is highly surprising to see that the Grand National has eluded the Irish champion trainer for 18 years.

You have to rewind back to 18 years ago to recognise the last time he won the big one at Aintree. The last horse to have won the Grand National for Mullins was Hedgehunter in 2005 but in all fairness, he has come close on a few occasions since and we can easily recollect the 2018 renewal when Pleasant Company almost caught Tiger Roll when denied by only a head in second. 

His leading candidate for this year’s renewal is MR INCREDIBLE, who ran a good race to finish second in the Classic Chase at Warwick on his first go over a marathon distance, doing his best work late on, and then backed that up with a gusty third off top-weight in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival, which was a cracking effort for a horse who has firmly been targeted at the Grand National next month. 

The seven-year-old is very lightly-raced and while he will head into Liverpool light on experience over fences after just seven starts, he isn’t without a chance given his upwardly-mobile profile.

Further good news about his chances is Noble Yeats broke the age statistic last year when becoming the first seven-year-old to win the race since 1940 and punters will fancy the chances of this improving chaser.

Paul Byrne, the owner of last year’s Grand National winner Noble Yeats before selling the Emmet Mullins-trained eight-year-old to Robert Waley-Cohen prior to Aintree, is Mr Incredible’s owner and he could have a serious contender himself for the world’s most famous steeplechase on his hands, who is currently available at 14/1. 

Can he be incredible? 4.1% of the punters through oddschecker think so.

Le Milos 

  • Trainer: Dan Skelton 
  • Odds: 20/1

 

Dan Skelton could have a couple of big players in the Grand National this year, including LE MILOS, who landed the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury earlier in the season and has been popular for the Grand National ever since, even if he did suffer a shock reversal at such odds when second in the Premier Chase at Kelso last time. 

The Coral Gold Cup winner may have lost his unbeaten record for team Skelton but he was ridden far too aggressively when caught late on having traded short in-running and we can expect a more conservative ride in the Grand National next month. He is a beautiful jumper, with a high cruising speed, and that will serve him well plus he has improvement to come.

The eight-year-old will be entering unknown territory over the distance but still, he has as much going for him as any other British-trained Grand National contender and remains very popular with punters. His trainer has yet to land the Grand National but perhaps this is the horse to implement a winning performance with his limit not yet reached. 

Le Milos rounds off our top five list with a 3.6% share of the bets at the time of writing.