Grand National 2023 course form | Record over the National fences
John Ingles highlights the runners in the Foxhunters', Topham and Grand National who have run well over the unique fences.
FOXHUNTERS’
In 2021 Latenightpass finished runner-up behind 66/1 winner Cousin Pascal, but 12 months ago it was Latenightpass who came out on top with Cousin Pascal back in fifth.
Latenightpass got the better of Cat Tiger by a length and a quarter under a fine ride from Gina Andrews, wife of winning trainer Tom Ellis. Never far away, Latenightpass was kept wide to avoid trouble for most of the way and then crucially made his run on the inside approaching the Elbow forcing Cat Tiger to challenge wider on the track. Latenightpass was campaigned successfully in points between his two appearances in the Foxhunters’ and has been given a similar preparation this year.
Coastal Tiep finished fourth in the Foxhunters’ four years ago but never looked like proving a threat in finishing two places ahead of Sir Jack Yeats in that renewal. Now trained by Fergal O’Brien, Sir Jack Yeats has completed in all five of his starts over the National fences, running his best race when making most and jumping with zest from out of the weights to finish second in the Grand Sefton in 2020.
TOPHAM
The winners of both the handicaps over the big fences from earlier in the season are bidding to land another valuable prize in the Topham. Sam Thomas hasn’t run Al Dancer again since he won the Grand Sefton on his debut over the National fences in November. He took well to the course, jumping soundly in the main (hit five out) having taken up the running at Becher’s, though was also suited by the return to a longer trip and took advantage of a lenient mark. That was Al Dancer’s first start for seven months, adding to a good record fresh, so his absence since then isn’t a negative.
Like Al Dancer, Ashtown Lad was having his first experience over the big fences when winning the Becher Chase for Dan Skelton over three and a quarter miles in December, though his failure to stay in last year’s Scottish Grand National means he drops back in trip rather than going for the big one on Saturday. Never far away, he jumped fluently out wide in the Becher before quickening clear soon after the last and has been placed in both his starts since over hurdles.
Formerly run on the same day, the Grand Sefton and the Becher were run a month apart for the first time this season and Gesskille ran fine races to finish runner-up in both. A French import and not long with the stable of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, Gesskille ran well from 3 lb out of the handicap to go down by just a nose to Al Dancer in the Grand Sefton after sticking to his task well from the Elbow and shaped similarly over the longer trip in the Becher when just over two lengths behind Ashtown Lad. Percussion finished third in the same two races for Laura Morgan, despite being further out of the weights in the Grand Sefton, and rallied well on the run-in in the Becher having been only sixth jumping the last.
The only one among the principals from last year’s Topham to try his luck again is runner-up Batcio for Ted Walsh. A 25/1 chance, he turned in an apparent career-best effort from 1 lb out of the handicap, jumping fluently in mid-division before creeping closer from halfway and keeping on after challenging between the last two to be beaten just over fourth lengths behind Mac Tottie. He looks to have been laid out for an attempt to go one better with just the one run since (held when unseating) at Clonmel last month.
Former Irish Grand National winner Burrows Saint has contested the last two Grand Nationals. While he only got as far as The Chair when unseating last year, he went very well for a long way when well fancied in 2021, though ultimately found the trip too far, weakening on the run-in to finish a well-held fourth to Minella Times after jumping and travelling as well as any.
GRAND NATIONAL
The first three home in last year’s Grand National are all due to line up again on Saturday. Noble Yeats sprang a 50/1 surprise 12 months ago, belying his youth (the first seven-year-old win since 1940) and inexperience to get the better of Any Second Now by two and a quarter lengths after jumping to the front two out and regaining the lead approaching the Elbow. As well as having a new jockey this year, with Sean Bowen replacing Sam Waley-Cohen who announced his retirement after last year’s race, Noble Yeats has a considerably higher mark to overcome if he’s to win again, though he’s earnt it with some high-class efforts in the meantime, including another win at Aintree, over the regular fences, in the Many Clouds Chase.
Now one of the senior runners at the age of 11, Any Second Now also has more on at the weights after his gallant effort last year when a flying leap at the last took him past Noble Yeats only to find his younger rival coming back past him on the flat. Even so, he enjoyed a better run round than when third the year before having had to make up a significant amount of ground after being almost brought to a standstill by a faller on the first circuit. As in 2021, Any Second Now has been prepped with a win in last month’s Websters Cup Chase at Navan.
Delta Work finished 20 lengths adrift of Any Second Now in third last year, and he too goes to Aintree with a similar build-up to last year after winning the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham again. He ran a better race last year than the distance he was beaten implies, though, having found himself well back after some early mistakes before improving to loom up briefly with a chance in the straight. He was conceding weight to the pair who beat him last year but is better off with both of them this time.
Of the others who completed in last year’s race and are back again, Longhouse Poet shaped as well as any for a long way under a bold rail-hugging ride, though was a bit too exuberant in the end and faded into sixth after jumping into the lead at the second Canal Turn. Coko Beach, who finished eighth, was another who didn’t get home but made much of the running until the eighteenth and was upsides again four out before weakening.
This will be a first Grand National for Hill Sixteen though he has completed over the big fences in a couple of Becher Chases. He was out of the handicap but jumped soundly when failing by just a nose against Snow Leopardess in 2021 but couldn’t land a blow under less testing conditions when only seventh in the latest renewal. Fortescue was fourth in the latest Becher which was a good enough effort on form but, as when unseating in last year’s Grand National, he gave a laboured display in rear for much of the way.
The other one to mention is Francky du Berlais who will be contesting his first Grand National but has completed in all three of his races over the big fences, notably when fourth in last year’s Topham.
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