Taurus 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.

The Jonjo O’Neill gelding was made favourite for the Grand National two years ago after finishing third to Corach Rambler in the Ultima Chase of 2023 but was later ruled out of the National that year due to injury.  He was then prominent again in the betting for Aintree after finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup of the 23/24 season. Two subsequent disappointing runs meant he didn’t head to Aintree that year either but all systems appear on course for the Grand National this year.  Monbeg Genius finished second on his reappearance at Haydock this season and then made a really good showing in the Welsh National when fourth on ground that was probably too soft for him. He followed that up with an excellent win at Uttoxeter where he was a comfortable five length victor from Famous Bridge, which was his first win for over two years. The Racing Post Ratings team were very impressed with his win at Uttoxeter and rated it his best run to date over fences. There could be a question mark about if he has the prerequisite fight in his belly in a tight finish but he certainly ticks a lot of boxes for the big race in that he goes there in good form, can perform on most ground conditions and has proven his stamina in a Welsh National. As well as that, his trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, has already won an Aintree Grand National with Don’t Push It in 2010. Monbeg Genius appeals as a good value each-way chance for the 2025 Grand National.

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. 

Nick Rockett heads to Aintree on the back of two fine wins: the 50k Thyestes Chase and then the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse, which has often been the stepping stone to Grand National victories. A Grade Two winner over hurdles, much was expected of his first year over fences but this son of Walk In The Park only managed to get his head in front once last season. Willie Mullins’ charge did record some good performances in top handicaps, most notably when third behind stablemate Minella Cocooner in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Nick Rockett appeared to need the run when a promising fourth at 25/1 in the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas but his form has stepped up considerably since then. In the Bobbyjo he was receiving three pounds from Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles but the conditions of the Fairyhouse greatly favoured him and that same horse will be a huge fifteen pounds better off if they both line-up at Aintree.  If Nick Rockett does line-up in the Grand National he will face a tough task as he will only have two horses above him the weights at most and would run from a mark eleven pounds higher than his last handicap run, the victory in the Thyestes.

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. 

Gavin Cromwell will be hoping that the great record in the Grand National of horses who have run in Cross Country races will continue in 2025 as Stumptown and Vanillier are among the best around currently in that field. Stumptown doesn’t fit the profile of most cross-country horses as he is only eight-years-old and most runners in that field tend to be ten and over. He’s won four out of five of his attempts over the banks, including the recent Glenfarclas Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival.  Stumptown has also won two good traditional handicap chases at Cheltenham in 2024 so he certainly has a progressive profile. The worry for Stumptown’s supporters is that the British handicapper has pushed him up to a rating of 157 for the Grand National which is ten pounds higher than his last win in a traditional handicap.  Another possible concern could be that the last three times Stumptown has contested the very top level traditional handicaps (Irish National, Coral Gold Cup and the Ultima Chase) he has pulled up every time. 

Grangeclare West has always been held in high regard by his powerful stable and has a fine win-to-run ratio of over 45%. He has, however, struggled with various injuries which have meant he has only made it to the track twelve times in four-and-a-half years. He did win a Grade One Novice Chase in 2023 where he had the likes of Corbetts Cross and Flooring Porter behind him but has generally struggled since that victory. The one bright spot in his subsequent runs was this season when he finished an excellent second to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.  The nine-year-old gelding has yet to run in a handicap but given the company he has been running against he will have to carry a large amount of weight in the Grand National with only three horses above him in the handicap. 

Earlier this season it looked as if Perceval Legallois was becoming disappointing after going off as favourite in two big Irish handicaps only to return home well beaten. Those defeats in the Galway Plate and the Listowel National meant he was allowed to go off at 17/2 for the big Irish Christmas handicap chase; the Paddy Power at Leopardstown. This time though the real Perceval Legallois turned up and he came home an easy seven-length winner of a handicap worth nearly €100,000.  Trainer Gavin Cromwell then spotted an opportunity for Perceval Legallois to exploit his handicap mark over hurdles which was now eighteen pounds lower than his chase mark after that big win at Leopardstown. Cromwell aimed his charge back at the Dublin track again but this time at a €59,000 listed handicap hurdle. The punting public probably saw this as a run-out to protect his chase handicap from the attentions of the British Grand National handicapper but Cromwell had the eight-year-old fully tuned and he handled the return to hurdles brilliantly coming home a comfortable winner again.  Cromwell seems to now have turned his attention to the Grand National for this horse where he would have to race from an eleven pounds higher mark than his last chase win at Christmas. This son of Ballingarry has never raced further than three miles so the step up to four miles plus would have to be taken on trust but horses who win at three miles over hurdles usually tend to stay further over fences.  Another issue to be considered by anyone thinking of backing this horse for AIntree is the wealth of riches JP McManus has in the staying chaser department. With so many stayers at his disposal, McManus looks sure to divert some of his battalion to the Irish National at Fairyhouse, which is two weeks after Aintree this year. If Perceval Legallois does head to Aintree the question mark would probably be if his win in the Paddy Power has scuppered his chance of winning a Grand National.

Three Card Brag could be the main hope of the Gordon Elliott stable that has won the Grand National on three previous occasions. However, the eight-year-old gelding will need a number of withdrawals to make the final field but if he does make it into the race he could be a dark horse to be on the right side of. Three Card Brag finished fourth in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival two seasons ago and that run outlined him as a possible improver when tried over fences.  Three Card Brag started favourite for his first two outings over fences but bumped into the likes of Corbetts Cross and Monty’s Star finishing second on both occasions. It actually took the son of Jet Away till his sixth run over fences to record his first victory which means he remains relatively inexperienced but he could potentially still be well handicapped off a mark of 146. If Three Card Brag does make the Grand National he is sure to be well-supported given the great record in the race of his trainer. 

Appreciate It has won three races over fences, two at two miles and one at two miles five furlongs.  Willie Mullins' former Grade One winner over hurdles bounced back to form in January with his first win for two years but his ability to see out the marathon distance of the Grand National is unproven. The eleven-year-old gelding is yet to be tried at distances further than three miles and one furlong and Appreciate It's career up to now has primarily focused at distances shorter than three miles. One possible positive for punters who like his chances is that he was sired by Jeremy who was also the sire of Corach Rambler who won the Grand National two years ago.

Trainer Richard Phillips last had a runner in the Grand National way back in 2001 when Noble Lord was a faller in the race won by Red Marauder. Idas Boy's new connections will be hoping for a better run with their new purchase who was sold by Gigginstown House Stud after he finished tenth in last year's Galway Plate. The eleven-year-old gelding won four races for his former owners including the Irish version of the Midlands Grand National. That victory was worth 52k and Idas Boy came home at 40/1. That big win was in July 2024 but he has only had two runs since then so perhaps Idas Boy still retains plenty of ability.  He is rated five pounds higher in the Grand National than his last win so will have to be at the top of his game if he is to be competitive here.

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.

Celebre d'Allen is the oldest horse running in this year's Grand National. The thirteen-year-old comes into the race with a win in a three mile handicap chase at Bangor in his latest race which was back in November. The Philip Hobbs and Johnson White trained gelding has previously run over the Grand national fences twice before, first when seeming not to stay the distance on heavy ground when a distant fourth in the Becher Chase two years ago and then when running really well when two-lengths fourth in last season's Topham. It seems an unlikely time in the horse's long career to try a marathon distance for the first time in a Grand National.

Twig has some useful form to his name including winning the 39k Summer Cup at Uttoxeter and finishing second in two big Cheltenham handicaps. However, the Ben Pauling trained gelding has not been at his best in his last three outings, although two of those were over hurdles and on softer ground than he probably likes. His last run was back over fences in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster and he was quite disappointing finishing a well-beaten seventh despite being well-fancied in the market. If the handicapper was framing this race now Twig would be rated three pounds lower than his rating of 146 and his usual rider Beau Morgan will not be able to claim his usual five-pound allowance in the Grand National.  Twig looks to have a difficult task in this season's Grand National.

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.