Aries Grand National Horses

Considering what he has ultimately achieved, it seems amazing that it took Hewick twelve races under Rules before he recorded his first victory. That first success came in a handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan from a handicap mark of just 94. Hewick is currently rated 162 over fences so Shark Hanlon has improved the gelding by a massive 68lb from that first win.  The ten-year-old gelding has been an absolute star for his yard winning eleven times including a King George, a bet365 Gold Cup, a Galway Plate and an American Grand National.  Hewick has been in good form this season with placings at the Punchestown Festival, in the French Champion Hurdle and the Champion Chase at Down Royal. On his most recent run at Thurles he made the winner’s enclosure once again when an easy five length winner in a 2m 6f hurdle race. The British handicapper has given Hewick a mark of 162 for the Grand National which is eight pounds lower than his highest official rating. That mark of 162 could arguably mean that Hewick is well-handicapped as his run this year at Down Royal, when second to Envoi Allen in a Grade One chase, has been rated only two pounds lower than his best ever rating by the Racing Post.  Decent underfoot conditions are key to Hewick’s chances and as it looks like we will get a good to soft or good ground Grand National, there is every chance this superb horse could be involved in the finish.

Vanillier ran a remarkable race in the Grand National two years having been in fifteenth position jumping four out and was still twelve lengths behind the leader when jumping the last. The grey gelding powered up the run in and passed all of his rivals bar one, the well-handicapped, Corach Rambler. That excellent run meant that Gavin Cromwell’s charge was a well fancied 14/1 shot for last year’s National but Vanillier didn’t seem to enjoy himself as much in that race and ended up crossing the line in a well-beaten fourteenth place.  This season Cromwell has tried the ten-year-old in Cross Country races which it seemed Vanillier took a while to get used to with a sixth place at Punchestown and a ninth place at Cheltenham. His third attempt was back at Punchestown and this time the penny dropped and Vanillier was an impressive eighteen-length winner. Cromwell then sent Vanillier to Cheltenham for the Cross Country race at the Festival but unfortunately his rider Sean Flanagan nearly took the wrong course and ended up losing many lengths trying to correct his error. Eventually Vanillier finished a fast-finishing third there which was a great result in the circumstances.  The British handicapper appears to have given Vanillier a chance at the weights for the Grand National, dropping him four pounds from last year and he is now on the same mark as when second in 2023. If the Cross Country races have sweetened him up Vanillier must have an excellent chance of running another sound race in this year’s Grand National.

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.