Green Grand National Horses

I Am Maximus is already an Aintree legend following his victory in the Grand National two years ago and then following that up with second place behind Nick Rockett last year. 

A return to Aintree will undoubtedly be on the cards once again but the ten-year-old son of Authorised has been quite busy this season with three runs in Grade One races in Ireland. The highlight of those runs was finishing runner-up to Affordale Fury in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. That run suggested that all his ability is still there and he looks sure to be a force to be reckoned with once again in the Grand National. 

I Am Maximus still holds an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but that race has not been on his agenda in previous years and it would be a surprise if he was given the green light for that race. Much more likely is that he will turn-up at Aintree a fresh horse, although the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse that he won two years ago, may appeal to connections if they feel they want to get another run into him.

Iroko ran a fine race in last year’s Grand National when finishing seven-and-a-half lengths fourth to Nick Rockett when sent off the 13/2 favourite and in doing so was the only British horse to finish in the top nine places. 

Jonjo O’Neill jnr, who rode Iroko in the National, was hard at work from a long way out but his partner was willing, staying on for pressure after coming from quite a long way back. Iroko made a couple of bad mistakes before the turn for home which will not have helped his cause.

The eight-year-old gelding is a previous winner at the Cheltenham Festival, winning the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle in 2023, but was sent straight over fences the following season and, perhaps surprisingly, has won only twice in ten attempts at the bigger obstacles. Iroko’s shrewd trainers, Oliver Greenall and Josh Gueriero, have been campaigning this horse with one eye on Aintree right from the start of his chasing career at the behest of owner JP McManus who has apparently always thought this horse was made for the Grand National.

Iroko has started this season with a run in the same Graduation Chase at Haydock that he ran in first-time up last season, finishing second on both occasions. He then ran in another Graduation Chase at Ascot where he regained the winning thread seeing off Firefox and James Du Berlais for a cosy victory.

It would appear all roads lead back to Aintree for Iroko but, in recent years, horses heading back to the Grand National after a defeat do not have a good record and this son of Cokoriko is likely to have significantly more weight to carry.

Iroko has had a wind operation since last season so connections will be hoping that will help the gelding find the improvement he seems to need to find to be competitive again in April.

After a season that gleaned two big wins, Perceval Legallios was sent off joint-third favourite for last year’s Grand National but was one of only four horses to fall or unseat in last year’s race.

The Gavin Cromwell trained gelding came down early in the race at the ninth fence and didn’t get to show the form that had seen him win the 97k Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown in the previous December.

Only seen twice on the racecourse so far this season, the gelding would have something to prove with regard to his current well being as those two runs have only gleaned a pulled up in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November and a thirty-one length fourth place at Tramore in January.

Perceval Legallios ran from a mark of 153 last year and is only two pounds lower this year despite coming into the race with far less obvious recent credentials. 

Gavin Cromwell was very sweet on his horse’s chance at Aintree before the race last season so if he was to come in for any sustained interest in the betting market it could suggest Perceval Legallois is in good form and might be a player in this year’s Grand National.

L’Homme Presse has been an amazing horse for his connections, winning nine races and amassing over £600,000 of prize money.

The highlight of the eleven-year-old gelding’s victories is probably the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival four seasons ago but he has been remarkably consistent along the way.

The handicapper is fully aware of L’Homme Presse’s consistency and has taken no chances, allocating him a mark of 164 for Aintree. 

Grand National winning trainer Venetia Williams’ stable star did finish second in a handicap this season from a mark of 162 but it is a huge ask to expect him to be able to win a Grand National from such a loft handicap rating.

Jagwar had a superb first season over fences last year winning four races from five attempts, including the Novices Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. 

That victory at Cheltenham came from a mark of 139 and the seven-year-old gelding will carry thirteen pounds more should he line up in the Grand National. This season he has run twice so far in two valuable Cheltenham middle-distance handicaps and has only been narrowly beaten in both. 

Jagwar’s supporters for the Grand National are making a big leap of faith regarding his stamina for the four-and-a-quarter mile test at Aintree as the horse has yet to run further than two miles and five furlongs. Connections are aiming the JP McManus horse first at this year’s Cheltenham Festival with the three-mile Ultima Chase as the target before a possible tilt at the Grand National. With stamina still under question, Jagwar fans would probably best to wait until after Cheltenham before placing any Grand National bets.

Spillane’s Tower will be looking to bring up a long-range Grand National double for trainer Jimmy Mangan who won the race twenty-three years ago with Monty’s Pass.

Trainer Mangan has shown he can still train a good horse, steering this son of Walk In The Park to six victories, including two big wins at Grade One level. The biggest of those wins was probably the Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown two seasons ago where Spillane’s Tower just won out in a tight finish from Monty’s Star. 

The eight-year-old gelding had looked to go off the rails slightly over the last year with two defeats over hurdles but bounced back to form when taking the Cotswold Chase at the January Cheltenham meeting. That victory sent him on a path to the Cheltenham Gold Cup but he was an eleventh hour non-runner due to the firmness of the ground.

It would seem that Spillane’s Tower is being lined up to be a member of the JP McManus battalion in the Aintree Grand National as he has not been entered in the Irish equivalent at Fairyhouse.

Punters will need to keep an eye on the weather if Spillane’s Tower tower is their selection as he would probably need ground nearer soft to actually run in the race.

Oscars Brother is officially still a novice but has racked up plenty of experience in his first season over fences, winning three times.

Trained by Connor King who only has two horses in training, the gelding began his chasing career way back on the 8th May last year finishing second to Mossy Fen Park at Listowel. The son of Malinas was then sent to Galway in October where he broke his chasing duck and was then moved up to Grade Two level at Punchestown where he underlined how rapidly he was improving with a comfortable three length success. That victory caught the eye of JP McManus who moved swiftly to purchase the gelding.

Connor King gave Oscars Brother a break after Punchestown bringing him back in early February for another tilt at a Grade Two race at Navan. The eight-year-old never saw another horse that day, leading from flag-fall for a comprehensive six length win. That win at Navan booked his place for the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival where ran a great race to finish fourth to Kitzbuhel.

Despite being on the go for most of the season, connections are keen to run Oscars Brother again and a trip to Fairyhouse of Aintree looks on the cards where he is likely to be extremely well-supported.

Henry De Bromhead’s horses are always a popular selection in big races but particularly in the Grand National which he has won with Minella Times and has also had two other placed horses.

Gorgeous Tom has some good form to his name, most notably finishing fourth to Lecky Watson in last season’s Brown Advisory Chase and filling that same position in this season’s Coral Gold Cup behind Panic Attack.

The eight-year-old gelding isn’t an obvious candidate for extreme distances with the furthest he has travelled so far being 3 miles and 2 furlongs. 

Johnnywho heads to Aintree under the care of the revitalised father and son training partnership of Jonjo and AJ O’Neill and he goes there with an outstanding chance on the back of his career-best victory in the Ultima Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival.

This son of Califet has taken a while to fulfil his promise over fences, despite scoring on chasing debut at Carlisle, he made connections wait for nine races before getting his head in front again. In the interim, he had been run out of last year’s Kim Muir by just a neck and then failed by half-a-length in a 57k handicap at Ascot in December.

All was forgiven when he held off the strong late challenge of Jagwar to take the 84k first price in the Ultima, which is one of the strongest trials for the Grand National. Corach Rambler won that race before heading on to Aintree to capture the National and Johnnywho appears to have a great chance of completing the same double. 

The O’Neill team gave their charge a wind operation before Cheltenham as well as adding first-time cheekpieces and the combination worked the oracle as the nine-year-old gelding could be spotted travelling easily with two to jump. A fall at the last by Search For Glory aided Johnnywho’s cause but he was extremely tenacious in seeing off long-time leader Quebecois and the aforementioned Jagwar.

As the weights for the Grand National were framed before the Cheltenham Festival, Johnnywho’s Aintree rating has been set at 146 whereas the handicapper has now raised his new overall mark to 152 meaning he gets to race in the National six pounds “well-in”. He does have stamina to prove for the Grand National trip, especially as he didn’t appear to see out the 3m 5f trip in the Irish National last year, but that was on ground that was probably softer than ideal. The wind operation and headgear will obviously have to work for a second time but with his advantage in the handicap he does appear to have an exceptionally good chance of winning the Grand National for a second time for Jonjo O’Neill.