Red Grand National Horses

Delta Work is a dual Cheltenham Festival Cross Country chase winner and also finished runner-up in the Grand National two years ago. Gordon Elliott tried this gelding again at Aintree last year but when he unseated his rider at the twenty-first fence. Likely to be campaigned very similarly again in 23/24 with the Cross Country at Cheltenham and the Grand National the big targets. Delta Work should again be hard to beat at Cheltenham, but it could be that his best chance of an Aintree victory has passed given he will be eleven years old come next April. Eight Grand Nationals have now passed since the last winner aged in double figures (Pineau De Re in 2014) and the National appears to be moving towards suiting younger, well-handicapped types.

Lifetime Ambition has been a slow burner, taking seven attempts to break his maiden over hurdles but is now a four-time winner, including a Grade Three victory in a novice chase at Limerick last season. He has been a model of consistency since then, not finishing out of the first four in any of completed races to date, which included a fourth place in the Sefton over the Aintree fences and a runner-up spot behind The Big Dog in the Troytown at Navan. Jessica Harrington was interviewed before last year's Grand National and was very positive about Lifetime Ambition's chances but sadly we didn't get to find out how he would have done as a loose horse caused him to unseat his rider at the ninth fence. Up to that point the eight-year-old was jumping well and seemed to be enjoying himself so it seems likely that Harrington will aim the gelding at Aintree again next season.

Vanillier ran a remarkable race in last year's Grand National having been in fifteenth position jumping four out and 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. The handicapper has reacted by increasing Vanillier's rating by five pounds, which could look very lenient in a year's time. Given how well the gelding took to the Aintree experience it must be very likely trainer Gavin Cromwell will aim the eight-year-old gelding at the Grand National again in 2024.