Senior Chief Odds and Grand National Form 2025

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 introduction 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.