We have exclusive Grand National tips for you from Richard Johnson as he previews the world’s most famous horse race.
Johnson, one of Britain’s greatest jockeys, has shortlisted a couple of horses to keep an eye on and evaluated the chances of the favourite for the Aintree Grand National.
Richard Johnson’s Grand National Preview
Compared to some previous years, it will have a very heavily Irish feeling to it. At the moment, they have a lot of very, very good horses and you want the best horses to turn out for the Grand National.
You don’t want to have 80% English horses if they’re not the best, you want the best horses to turn out for the spectacle.
It is a bit frustrating and disappointing that there’s not more English horses with a real chance, but that’s the thing about competitive sport. You want the best to turn up to try and compete for that big prize.
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Grand National Tips
My only worry for Corach Rambler is, at 4/1 he is very short. Peter Scudamore has told me plenty of times that he is a horse who wants the ground not being too testing.
I know he ran very well in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but that, for me, would be a worry backing that kind of horse. He’s not an 8/1 shot, being 4/1 is very short for this kind of handicap race really.
He’s gone up a lot in weight this year (13 pounds) and has shown in the Gold Cup that he is in very good form, and I’m sure he will run a very good race. However, the Gold Cup might have taken a little bit out of him as well - that’s always a worry when you run a race like that.
It could just take the edge off him, the Gold Cup is a slightly harder race. Lucinda Russell’s horses do tend to come into their own in the spring and that’s a positive, but I do just feel that at 4/1 he is very short.
In terms of seeking value, Vanillier for Gavin Cromwell has the right profile for the race and is going the right way. I think he’s been trained specifically for Aintree.
*You can back Vanillier to win the Grand National at 9/1 per the latest Grand National odds at BoyleSports.
Out of the English horses, Kitty’s Light looks good and I’m sure this will have been the objective since he won the Scottish Grand National last year. Christian Williams’ horses are in far better form now than they were earlier this year, however, he has been given 10-6 in weight and the very soft ground could be an issue.
Minella Indo ran okay in the cross country race at Cheltenham in December, but I thought it was a little bit disappointing and he is slightly fancied.
Then, you’ve got horses like Limerick Lace, who is probably off a really good weight if she stays. Again, I would be slightly concerned if she can get the trim - she could still potentially be very well handicapped.
However, you’re almost taking her stamina in trust from connections rather than based on what she has done on a racecourse.
The ground is going to be a really key factor in this race. That’s going to be one thing that you are considering, whatever the weather does between now and then it’s still going to be soft ground regardless and going to be very, very testing.
I couldn’t consider backing a horse where there are any doubts over stamina as a result.
Tom Ellis’ Latenightpass, I thought that horse could run very well and I think he will handle the soft ground, will stay well and has got a really good racing weight for the race. As an each-way bet, I thought that would run very, very well.
Having won over fences before, even though the fences have changed, that experience could count for a lot and make a real difference.
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