Grand National tips: Ben Linfoot Aintree shortlist and horses to follow
Our Ben Linfoot shares the three horses that top his shortlist for the 2024 Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.
Skelton flying the flag for the Brits
In another Randox Grand National dominated by Irish entries it’s Scotland’s Corach Rambler that heads the market ahead of his attempt to go back-to-back, but the prospect of really testing conditions could be the key factor against him from a 13lb higher mark this year.
I can see him running well in defeat, but after all the rain I want a heavy ground specialist on my side and Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux ticks that box from the bottom of the weights.
A two-time winner on heavy, she underlined her Grand National credentials with an excellent second to My Silver Lining in the Warwick Classic Chase, a race that unearthed One For Arthur ahead of his Aintree success.
That effort, when running on over 3m5f on soft ground, was a major hint that she will be well suited by a severe stamina test in the mud and I’m happy to simply put a line through her poor Exeter effort as it wasn’t her true running for whatever reason.
Dan Skelton prepared his Cheltenham handicappers superbly and I’d expect the same at Aintree, so this mare, who looks all stamina, has to be on the shortlist at a big price.
Kung Fu Panda phwoar
The latest Dreamworks production to save parents up and down the land from Easter holiday rain hell is currently in a cinema near you, but it’s Panda Boy that could take the Grand National by storm.
Martin Brassil is another shrewd operator when it comes to handicaps and it’s now 18 years since he won this race with Numbersixvalverde, and Panda Boy offers him the chance to double his tally in the Aintree spectacular.
He couldn’t quite win the Irish Grand National en route to Aintree, as Numbersixvalverde did, but he was a good fifth to I Am Maximus and he gets a 4lb pull at the weights with that horse on that running at Fairyhouse a year ago.
This season he was given a quiet start but he burst into life in first-time cheekpieces in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas, where he was second to Meetingofthewaters – who he gets an 11lb pull with at Aintree.
Minella Times was second in the same race before his Grand National success and Panda Boy finalised his National preparations with an eye-catching fourth over hurdles at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Minella Indo-cision
When Henry de Bromhead was winning the Grand National with Minella Times three years ago stablemate Minella Indo had just won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, after which he had a justified official rating of 175.
Such former class makes him immediately of interest in the Grand National from a perch of 159, then, with the testing conditions of no issue while his bold jumping has always been a major asset.
With all that considered odds of 20/1 are tempting, but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet as you have to weigh it all up with his gradual regression at 11 years of age – has he still got what it takes to land a Grand National?
I don’t know, but his Cross Country fourth at Cheltenham when last seen in December was encouraging and I suspect he will force is way into the staking plan if he drifts in the market in the face of further expected support for the younger contingent that are currently ahead of him in the betting.
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