Blue Grand National Horses

Roi Mage is currently a reserve for the Grand National and will need two horses to withdraw when the final declarations are made on Thursday to make the race. This Patrick Griffin trained gelding has run in the Grand National twice before, finishing seventh two years ago and ninth last year. He only ran last Saturday, with connections probably thinking he was unlikely to make the Grand National final field.  He finished a well-beaten sixth at Fontainebleau that day and, if he does make the Grand National, it's difficult to see this thirteen-year-old improving on what he has previously achieved at Aintree.

Paul Nicholls has talked down the chances of Threeunderthrufive in the Grand National as he believes the gelding is not that well handicapped. The figures don't really back that negative analysis up as Threeunderthrufive recently finished second, just beaten a nose, off the same mark he runs from in the Grand National. The son of Shantou also won a 57k handicap from just one pound lower a little over a year ago. Often with a potential selection in the Grand National the most difficult part of the equation is if the horse in question will see out the extreme distance but Threeunderthrufive has previously been a close-up in the four-mile Scottish National so he would appear to have a better chance than most of staying the trip at Aintree. The ten-year-old gelding's best form has come on good or good-to-soft ground so he should cope with the underfoot Aintree conditions better than most. Nicholls has drafted in Harry Skelton to ride Threeunderthrufive and the jockey has three wins in his last seven rides for the stable and famously teamed up with Nicholls to win the Champion Chase on Politologue. Threeunderthrufive ticks a lot of boxes for the Grand National and appeals as the sort of outsider who could be well backed as the race comes closer.

Shakem Up’Arry has won four times over fences but has yet to record a win over further than 2m 4f. Harry Redknapp’s eleven-year-old gelding has had two races over three miles or further, finishing fourth and sixth.  The Ben Pauling trained horse would need a number of withdrawals to make the final field with the Topham Chase being lined up as an alternative if he doesn’t make it to the National. 

Minella Cocooner was part of the team Willie Mullins highlighted to help him win the British Trainers’ Championship and this horse certainly did his bit when victorious in the Bet365 Gold Cup and winning over £95,000 in the process.  That win at Sandown was only Minella Cocooner’s second win over fences and with only a six pound rise for that big win he looks to have the scope to win some more big pots. As well as winning at Sandown on good ground he had previously been third in the Irish National when four lengths behind Intense Raffles on heavy ground.  This season Mullins has campaigned this horse mainly at Grade One level and he has been comprehensively beaten on his three starts by 25, 41 and 32 lengths. Minella Cocooner's one race outside Grade One level was in the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse where he showed some improved form to finish fourth just over eight lengths behind the winner, Nick Rockett. Minella Cocooner’s supporters should not lose heart though as it appears the nine-year-old gelding tends to find his best form toward the end of the season. His four best performances on Racing Post ratings have all come from March onwards in the season so there is every chance he can show an improved performance in the Grand National. It's somewhat surprising that Danny Mullins has elected to not ride this horse as he has been in the plate eight times in the horse's career including that big win at Sandown.

Kandoo Kid appears to be the top choice from Paul Nicholls’ five runners as stable jockey Harry Cobden has elected to ride him.  The nine-year-old gelding has already proved himself over the National fences when third in the Topham Chase last April and that run can be marked up further as he lost a shoe during the race. That was Kandoo Kid’s last run of the season and Nicholls aimed him at the red-hot Coral Cup Handicap at Newbury for his first run back of 24/25 where he was well backed and ran out a good winner, collecting over £142,000.  It appears that Nicholls has been minding Kandoo Kid’s handicap mark since then with only one run over an inadequate 2m 5f trip where he returned well beaten.  This son of Kapgarde has run useful races on all manner of underfoot conditions from good to firm through to heavy so he should be adaptable to whatever going arrives at Aintree but his best run (Coral Gold Cup) was achieved on good to soft conditions.  Stamina for four miles plus would have to be taken on trust as the furthest he has run up to now is twenty-six furlongs but his half-sister Starlet Du Mesnil did finish placed in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris which is run over 3m 6f so connections will be hopeful that stamina will not be an issue. Trainer Paul Nicholls won the Grand National with another grey, Neptune Collonges, in 2012 but his twenty-five runners since then have failed to make the frame. 

Beauport won last year's Midlands Grand National proving he has the stamina for the National test and looks to have been campaigned with this year's Aintree showpiece specifically in mind especially since winning a valuable Ascot Handicap Chase by over 30 lengths in November. He's had just two starts over hurdles since then, a path trodden by many National winners in the past who were protecting their handicap mark over fences.  His jumping has been more accomplished this season, he's won in ground conditions varying from good to soft to heavy and generally likes to race up with the pace which is a positive for the National. He has only had the three starts this season so is very fresh and is the right sort of age (9 years old) profile wise of previous National winners.  These famous silks were carried to victory in this race by Corbiere in 1983.

Henry De Bromhead has a good recent record in the Grand National with the one-two in 2021 and another placed horse last year. Senior Chief looks to have been campaigned with this race in mind since winning a handicap chase at Cheltenham in October that also had Vanillier and Broadway Boy in the field. The key that day seemed to be the good ground he was encountering for the first time in his career and the introductions of first-time cheekpieces.  This son of Gentlewave failed to back-up that win at Cheltenham when subsequently finishing a staying-on sixth to Kandoo Kid in the Coral Cold Cup at Newbury. Since that defeat, trainer De Bromhead has restricted the eight-year-old gelding to one quiet run over hurdles at Naas in February. With the ground likely to be no worse than good-to-soft, Senior Chief should have conditions to his liking but he does need to prove himself at extreme distances. He gave the impression at Newbury that he could well be suited by a marathon but he is nine pounds higher in the handicap than his last win at Cheltenham which could make being competitive in a white-hot race such as the Grand National very difficult.

Former Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner Stay Away Fay started his career over fences very promisingly when winning his first two races in that discipline, including at Grade Two level at Sandown.  The Paul Nicholls trained gelding built on those early wins when finishing third in last season's Cotswold Chase, when still a novice, but since then his form has tailed off badly. Stay Away Fay has been pulled up three times since then together with finishing in a distant eleventh place in the Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Trainer Nicholls has drafted in Jonathan Burke to ride Stay Away Fay in the Grand National but he will have her work cut out getting this former top-class horse to be competitive in the big race.

Trained by Gordon Elliott, Duffle Coat's best form tends to be on decent ground, including when winning the 52k Mayo National and finishing second in the Galway Plate. Even with those big performances, the Racing Post have rated his most recent run at the Cheltenham Festival as the best effort of his career so far. In that race, he was top-weight in the newly created National Hunt Chase Handicap and was still in with a big chance when he was brought down two out. If the rain stays away Duffle Coat could be an interesting outsider.