Taurus Grand National Horses

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.  Nick Rockett will face a tough task in the National as he will only have two horses above him the weights and will 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 has now turned his attention to the Grand National for this horse where he will 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.  It's a big ask to win such a prestegious race as the Grand National from eleven pounds higher than your last victory but Gavin Cromwell has been making the unlikley happen all season.

Three Card Brag looks to be the main hope of the Gordon Elliott stable who have won the Grand National on three previous occasions. 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. The eight-year-old gelding could be a dark horse to be on the right side of, especially as Elliott has secured the services of champion jockey elect, Sean Bowen.