Sporting Life
Longhouse Poet leads the Grand National field
Longhouse Poet leads the Grand National field

Ashtown Lad out as 57 remain in Randox Grand National at Aintree

By Sporting Life
Horse Racing
Tue March 28, 2023 · 3y ago

Conflated, Hewick and Ashtown Lad were among 16 horses taken out of the 2023 Randox Grand National at the latest acceptors stage.

That leaves a total of 57 horses vying for the final 40 spots with Eva's Oskar now occupying number 40 on the list with the well-fancied Our Power number 41.

Any Second Now is now the sole top weight carrying 11st 12lb following the expected withdrawal of Conflated, with other notable absentees including Happygolucky, Remastered and Farclas.

The remaining 57 in full are: Any Second Now, Noble Yeats, Galvin, Royale Pagaille, Envoi Allen, Fury Road, The Big Dog, Capodanno, Delta Work, Sam Brown, Lifetime Ambition, Carefully Selected, Coko Beach, Longhouse Poet, Gaillard du Mesnil, Darasso, Le Milos, The Shunter, Quick Wave, Escaria Ten, The Big Breakaway, Cape Gentleman, Roi Mage, Diol Ker, A Wave of The Sea, Minella Trump, Vanillier, Velvet Elvis, Ain't That A Shame, Corach Rambler, Enjoy d'Allen, Mr Incredible, Gin On Lime, Mister Coffey, Cloudy Glen, Battleoverdoyen, Hill Sixteen, Gabbys Cross, Recite A Prayer, Eva's Oskar

(need horses to come out to get a run): Our Power, Dunboyne, Francky du Berlais, Fortescue, Back On The Lash, Defi Bleu, Gevrey, Punitive, Milan Native, Born By The Sea, Fakiera, Darrens Hope, Mortal, Captain Kangaroo, Captain Cattistock, Secret Reprieve, Fantastikas.

Trainer Tim Vaughan was relieved and delighted in equal measure after Eva’s Oskar was confirmed as the 40th horse in the field following the latest scratchings.

The nine-year-old, who won a competitive handicap chase at Cheltenham earlier in the season, was previously further down the order of entry for the Aintree spectacular, but is now guaranteed a starting berth after a total of 16 horses were taken out.

The defectors include Shark Hanlon’s joint top-weight Hewick and Gordon Elliott’s Cheltenham Gold Cup third Conflated, with both absences anticipated. Becher Chase winner Ashtown Lad has also been removed by Dan Skelton, as has the Willie Mullins-trained Franco De Port.

Vaughan said: “We definitely want to run – we’re eager beavers! What’s lovely is we’ve actually got in. A lad who works for me was counting them down and we were thinking we might be 41st and you’re still lingering then until the day. It’s quite nice as it feels like we can relax now, enjoy the process and just hope that he takes to the fences well on the day.”

Since his Cheltenham success of early December, Eva’s Oskar has finished sixth at Sandown and fourth in the Eider Chase at Newcastle.

The grey is a 100/1 shot to claim Grand National glory with William Hill, but Vaughan insists he is not just there to make up the numbers.

Eva's Oskar

“We’ve been planning to go there for some time and he seems in good shape. We can make a few fences at home now with the spruce on,” the Welsh trainer added. "We didn’t want to do that until we knew where we were at. We thought today would sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of who definitely wanted to run and we’re excited to be in there.

“Of course I’m not naive enough to think we’re going there as a 10/1 chance, but as outsiders go he ticks a lot of boxes in that he’s good enough to win a £70,000 premier handicap at Cheltenham and he’s finished fourth in the Eider – we think he can do himself justice.

“It’s obviously a massive step up in class and it’s a great race with all the jazz that goes with it, but you’ve got to be in it to win it and that we are at the moment.”

THE FOLLOWING 16 ENTRIES HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED: Ashtown Lad (IRE), Chris's Dream (IRE), Cilaos Emery (FR), Conflated (IRE), Death Duty (IRE). Farclas (FR), Franco de Port (FR), Ga Law (FR), Glamorgan Duke (IRE), Happygolucky (IRE), Hewick (IRE), Lord Lariat (IRE), Pencilfulloflead (IRE), Rapper, Remastered, Threeunderthrufive (IRE).

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