‘Corach’ well in for Grand double with McConnell ace on a ‘Mission’
For donkey’s years, I would get awful slagging from my mates when the Grand National came around; I just couldn’t find a winner, no matter how hard I tried. Donkeys have long ears, and at one time, if something lasted a long time it was called donkey’s ears – but the phrase morphed into ‘donkey’s years’.
I’ve backed plenty of donkeys at Aintree and elsewhere mind you, but my reputation was finally boosted last year when the two horses I picked for this column, Corach Rambler and Vanillier, came first and second.
The lads now tell me that I’ve been dining out on that success ever since, but, in fairness, it’s unlikely that I’ll ever repeat that tipping feat, with the forecast paying 165/1.
I must admit that I simply backed them as win and each-way bets rather than a forecast, but it was a decent payday nonetheless. And yes, I’ll probably be telling the grandkids about it, but it’s all a bit of craic in a contest often described as a lottery. It’s still the greatest race in the world (4.0 Aintree), although there have been lots of changes to the course and conditions in more recent times.
This year, the number of runners has been reduced to 34 for safety reasons, and you do have to wonder if we’ll hit a point in the future where the race is so watered down it becomes just another long-distance chase.
I’m all for the health and safety of the runners and riders, but if authorities are doing some of this to appease the animal rights groups, they are fighting an unwinnable battle as those types simply disagree with horse racing, full stop.
Still, racing has an image problem and does need to adapt, although it was good to see British Racing fight back and launch HorsePWR, a website which presents the facts about horse welfare and the industry in general.
Anyway, back to the race itself, and once again I’ll have a win bet and also one running for me each-way.
For the win bet, I’m hoping lightning can strike twice for Lucinda Russell and Derek Fox, and at 7/1, Corach Rambler is vying for favouritism in the early markets with I Am Maximus.
Red Rum is the most successful horse in the race, winning three times in the 1970s, but Tiger Roll proved that it’s possible to at least do the double in the modern era, with back-to-back victories in 2018/’19.
Rated 159 for a racing weight of 11st 6lbs, Corach Rambler is a good bit higher than last year’s 146, but he’s improved since then considering his excellent third place in the Gold Cup.
His rating went up to 162 after that, but because the National weights are published early, he’ll race off his pre-Cheltenham rating of 162 so he’s effectively 3lbs well-in, giving him a great chance to become another double winner.
Most bookmakers pay six places so for the each-way bet, I’m siding with John McConnell’s Mahler Mission, which trades around 14/1 at the time of writing under regular partner Ben Harvey.
Based in Stamullen, I admire McConnell’s work ethic; he took out a licence in 2001 but it was several years before he had his first winner.
He’s got a great strike rate when sending horses to Britain, however, and was finally rewarded with a Cheltenham winner, Seddon, in 2023.
I watched an interview with him some time back, and when asked about perseverance, he said: “If you’re not a dreamer in this game, you’re probably in the wrong game”.
A victory here could finally catapult him to the next level as a trainer and fulfil some of those dreams, and there’s a lot to like about Mahler Mission, an eight-year-old which races off a mark of 158 today (11st 5lbs).
A novice winner at Navan last season, he looked sure to take the 2023 National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham before falling, but he’s been impressive since and was a very good second to Datsalrightgino in the Coral Cup at Newbury.
On that occasion, he finished well ahead of the others, despite losing both his front shoes. He’s unexposed and if he can patiently hunt around here, keep out of trouble and stay upright, he’s in with a very big shout.
Away from the National, Gordon Elliott’s Found A Fifty is a worthy favourite at around 2/1 in the Grade One My Pension Expert Maghull Novices’ Chase (5.00) under Jack Kennedy.
Second to Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle at Cheltenham, he’s a Grade One winner at Leopardstown and has a couple of pounds in hand on all known form, although Willie Mullins’ Hercule Du Seuil has built a nice picket fence beside his name with five wins in a row and still has room to improve.
Throw the likes of Etalon, Nickle Back and Quilixios into the mix and we are set for an intriguing race, but I reckon Found A Fifty has that extra bit of class which should see him through. Also at Aintree, Paul Nicholls’ Caldwell
Potter is tipped around 11/4 in the Grade One Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (1.55), having won his latest two races including a Grade One.
Until February, he’d been trained by Gordon Elliott in Ireland but he was sold for a whopping €740,000 to a syndicate that includes Alex Ferguson, and Nicholls said he kept him away from Cheltenham to give him a chance to settle in.