Aquarius Grand National Horses

Class Conti won on his debut for Willie Mullins after being switched from France but has failed to get his head in front in his twelve appearances since that win. Mullins has been pitching him at some of the most valuable Irish handicaps and the ten-year-old gelding has been placed twice in the valuable Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park. This son of Poligote ran in the Grand National last year but was sent off at 66/1 and finished last (15th) of those than finished. Class Conti has only been dropped two pounds since that run at Aintree and there has been no encouragement from his three races this season where he has been pulled up or finished well beaten. Sam Twiston-Davies is an eye-catching jockey booking for Class Conti on what will be only his second ride for Willie Mullins (his previous ride for the stable was back in 2016). Class Conti is a half-brother to dual King George VI winner Silviniaco Conti and three-time Grand National runner Ucello Conti, so there is definitely a bit of class in his pedigree, but it is very difficult to see him being competitive in the Grand National based on his recent form.

Enjoy D’Allen has been something of a slow burner and didn’t win under Rules until his twelfth race when taking a novice chase at Fairyhouse. Later that season he went on to finish third in the Irish National at odds of 40/1. This season so far, the highlight has been finishing third behind School Boy Hours in the 100k Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown. It was probably his performance in that race that alerted legendary owner JP McManus to the potential of Enjoy D’Allen and McManus was announced as the horse’s new owner following the horse’s next run at the Dublin Racing Festival. The purchase of Enjoy D’Allen takes McManus’ band of runners in the 2022 Grand National to half a dozen but this horse could well be the number one contender in the green and gold hoops.

Coko Beach has plenty of experience for a seven-year-old having had twenty-two races since moving from France to Gordon Elliott in December 2018. He recorded one victory over hurdles and ran in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. However, better was to come when he was tried over fences. Coko Beach won the Thyestes Handicap Chase last season beating Run Wild Fred by four lengths. After that victory, he was tried in a Grade Two Novice Chase at Navan which he also won convincingly. Since those two victories, there hasn’t been much to enthuse about in Coko Beach’s form with a run of seven defeats. The highlight of those races was perhaps finishing fourth behind Death Duty in the twenty-eight-furlong Grand National Trial at Punchestown. All of Coko Beach’s best efforts have come on heavy ground which looks unlikely for Aintree and the fact that he is still only seven must also be seen as a negative as horses of that age have an extremely poor record in the Aintree Grand National. His supporters will point to that better run at Punchestown when running over a longer distance so it could be that Aintree’s emphasis on stamina will bring out an improvement in Coko Beach.