GAVIN’S VAN CAN DELIVER
VANILLIER MEETINGOFTHEWATERS DELTA WORK MR INCREDIBLE CROMWELL’S BIG HOPE TO CONQUER AINTREE
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DESPITE the culling of the field to 34 runners, The Randox Grand National Handicap Chase (4.00), run over an extended four and a quarter miles at Aintree, is the greatest horse race on earth.
Having backed VANILLIER
to capture last year’s race off a mark of 147, yours truly was not a happy bunny when Sean Flanagan came from further back than Field Marshall von Blucher at Waterloo.
Unlike the game Prussian, the pair had to settle for second spot, but I must go in again at 10-1 as Gavin Cromwell’s beast is only 4lb higher and has a lovely weight of 10st 11lb.
Let’s hope the same jockey is a bit closer this time.
My second cab off the rank is Willie Mullins’
MEETINGOFTHEWATERS,
who has just 10st 7lb on his back, and he ran a blinder when third at the Cheltenham festival last March.
The winner of last season’s cavalry charge, Corarch Rambler — 13lb higher this time with the assessor having him tightly by the Niagara’s — won that event last year.
The winner of a 27-runner
handicap at Leopardstown over Crimbo when ridden by today’s pilot Danny Mullins, this young animal looks sure to give us a run for our wonga around the 10-1 ledge.
Gordon Elliot has stuck a pair of blinkers on DELTA WORK for the first time, and this mudlark is worth a Rod Laver at 25-1.
Dual
The 11-year-old was third of 40 in the 2022 race when racing off a perch of 160, so the dual winner of the Cross-country heat at the Cheltenham festival is weighted to at least trouble the judge running off a mark of 158.
CUTHBERT DIBBLE
— come on you must remember Trumpton? — can pay for the grub by landing the
William Hill Handicap Hurdle (1.20) run over three miles.
This mud lover was third of 22 in the Pertemps Final off a perch of 139 at Cheltenham last month, so must go very adjacent racing off 140.
The very kind each-way offer of 13-2 six places with the sponsors must be accepted.
Receiving a healthy 7lb from her male counterparts
can
BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD
snare the Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (1.55) run over two and a half miles. Elliot’s mare was runner-up over two miles and a furlong at Cheltenham, and the form was franked when the fourth, Jade De Grugy, obliged at Fairyhouse at Easter. The return to this longer trip will suit this five-year-old, who bolted up by a dozen lengths at Navan over two miles and five furlongs in February. Dan
Skelton will be desperate to capture the William Hill Handicap Chase (2.30) run over three miles and a furlong with THE KING OF RYHOPE, in his quest to land the trainers’ championship.
This creature was coming with a withering challenge to land a Grade 2 Novice Chase at Ascot in February, until he tried to take the last home with him when rated 134.
Fair
The assessor was very fair in only raising him to a new perch of 137, and he looks the best treated horse in this race.
If you like backing horses who win the same race more than once you will like SIRE DU BERLAIS in the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (3.05) run over an extended three miles, as JP Mcmanus’ veteran has captured this event for the past two years.
He warmed up for his favourite spin-up of the season when fifth in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, so expect to see him come late and fast.