Grand National horses from England - South East

One of the few races Nicky Henderson has failed to win in his long career is the Grand National but, in truth, he hasn’t had many strong chances in the last few years. This year he has a very interesting challenger in Hyland who has already won three chases this season. The eight-year-old gelding is still a novice but has already had six races over the bigger obstacles. The highlight of his chasing career so far was probably when running top novice The Jukebox Man to two-and-a-half lengths in a Grade One race at Kempton.  Hyland is undoubtedly a progressive novice but he is very ground dependant and tends to reserve his very best form for genuinely good ground which he may not get at Aintree as the course will ensure watering takes place to provide ground that is at least good to soft.  If the track is not overwatered then Hyland looks set to give Nicky Henderson his best chance of winning the Grand National for a very long time.

Chantry House was a dual Grade One chase winner back in 2021 but struggled after that until getting back in the winner's enclosure earlier this year when winning a five runner race at Cheltenham. That win aside, the eleven-year-old's form has generally been on the decline and he spent a full year running over hurdles as his connections experimented to find a race he could win. That recent win at Cheltenham meant he received a five pound hike in the handicap and he is now still rated only eight pounds lower than at his peak, despite his form being generally regressive. It's very difficult to see a horse with his profile winning the Grand National.

Rookie trainer Michael Keady has yet to train a winner in National Hunt racing but hopes to change all that by winning the biggest race in the world: The Grand National. Keady took out a licence in December and has had winners on the all-weather but has yet to record a victory over obstacles. Keady oversaw the online purchase of Horantzau d’Airy, by his business partner Jim Gill, who went to £52,000 to secure the gelding who was sold out of the Willie Mullins yard with a Grand National entry included.  Keady trains from Newmarket and that area has been low on Grand National entries in recent years but Keady believes this horse has the pre-requisite form to be competitive in the big race. The eight-year-old gelding was previously owned by Rich Ricci so had been campaigned in some big races including the Kerry National where he finished second and then finished second again in the Munster National. Since those two runner-up efforts this son of Legolas has been disappointing in three further big handicaps.  If Horantzau d’Airy could get back to his early season form he could play a part in the Grand National but a fairytale success for his new trainer looks unlikely.