Pedigree profiles of some of the leading Randox Grand National contenders

The first three in last year’s Randox Grand National, Noble Yeats, Any Second Now and Delta Work, are all prominent in the betting again but what do the pedigrees tell us about some of the other leading contenders who will be tackling the four and a quarter miles for the first time?

CORACH RAMBLER Jeremy – Heart N Hope (Fourstars Allstar)

Corach Rambler has come from well off the pace and stayed on best up the hill to win the Ultima Handicap Chase at the last two Cheltenham Festivals. But his one try so far over a marathon trip saw him beaten nearly twenty lengths into fourth in last season’s Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick when admittedly still in his first season over fences. He’s by Jeremy who had a rather unlikely profile for a jumping sire given that he never raced beyond a mile himself, gaining his biggest wins in the Jersey Stakes at three and the Betfred Mile at four when he was also beaten a short head in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Whilst Jeremy has sired plenty of good jumpers, including Happygolucky who was runner-up to Corach Rambler in last season’s Ultima, most of them have been best at short of three miles rather than beyond and he’s yet to have a runner in the Grand National. Corach Rambler’s dam showed little in the way of ability but was a half-sister to the Sky Bet Chase winner A Glass In Thyne, while his grandam was a half-sister to the top-class chaser over shorter distances Native Upmanship. He was a dual winner of the Melling Chase at Aintree (also twice runner-up in the Champion Chase) but, a doubtful stayer anyway, he lost all chance at the start when contesting the 2006 Grand National as a 100/1 shot. He was facing the wrong way when the tape went up and eventually refused four out.

MR INCREDIBLE Westerner – Bartlemy Bell (Kalanisi)

Like Corach Rambler, Mr Incredible’s only try over further than three and a quarter miles so far was in the Classic Chase but he was more convincing in finishing second in this year’s race, looking suited by the greater test of stamina. He’s by Westerner who was anything but a typical son of Danehill in proving himself a top-class out-and-out stayer on the Flat, winning a Gold Cup and two editions of the Prix du Cadran. A really straightforward type himself, Westerner has nonetheless sired his share of tricky customers, including Mr Incredible himself. Among his high-class performers are the Stayers’ Hurdle winner Cole Harden and the Ladbrokes Trophy winner Total Recall, trained, like Mr Incredible, by Willie Mullins.

Also among Westerner’s offspring is the former Midlands Grand National winner Truckers Lodge, while in the Grand National itself he’s been represented by Gilgamboa, an unproven stayer beforehand who nonetheless finished fourth behind Rule The World in 2016, and by Total Recall who was sent off favourite for Tiger Roll’s first Grand National in 2018 but was pulled up after being badly let down by his jumping. Mr Incredible’s dam was unraced, while his grandam was a half-sister to the useful Irish chaser Be My Belle, winner of the Thyestes Chase, and to the dam of another of Westerner’s high-class chasers Empire of Dirt. He won the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival and the Troytown Handicap Chase and finished second in the Irish Gold Cup but only got as far as the first when well backed for the Irish Grand National in 2015.

GAILLARD DU MESNIL Saint des Saints – Athena du Mesnil (Al Namix)

Having finished third in last season’s Irish Grand National and won the National Hunt Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last month, Gaillard du Mesnil doesn’t have too much left to prove in terms of stamina. His French sire Saint des Saints was a smart hurdler and winning chaser for Guillaume Macaire and has sired a Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris winner, Storm of Saintly, on his own turf besides plenty who have made their mark in the British Isles, including the latest Betfair Chase winner Protektorat.

Willie Mullins has been a keen supporter of Saint des Saints and, besides Gaillard du Mesnil, has trained the likes of dual Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam, Irish Gold Cup winner Quel Esprit and Irish Grand National winner Burrows Saint. The latter pair have both taken their chance at Aintree and Burrows Saint was well fancied two years ago but didn’t last home despite finishing fourth, and then unseated at the Chair last year. From a French AQPS family – his dam won a couple of French bumpers – the female side of Gaillard du Mesnil’s pedigree isn’t that instructive as far as his National chances are concerned.

LE MILOS Shirocco – Banjaxed Girl (King’s Theatre)

Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos will have to ‘go the extra mile’ to get the Grand National trip but gives the impression he’ll stay long distances. His sire the top-class mile and a half performer Shirocco is best known for siring Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power, but his other standout jumper was Minella Rocco, winner of the National Hunt Chase when it was still ‘the four-miler’ and runner-up in the Gold Cup. Minella Rocco contested the Grand National later in his career but was past his best by then and was pulled up, shaping as though amiss. Shirocco’s two other Grand National runners to date, Rock The Kasbah and the temperamental Fortescue, both also failed to complete, the latter entered again this year.

Le Milos is out of Banjaxed Girl who was useful over both hurdles and fences and a game sort who often made the running and was effective at up to three miles. Her half-brothers include the staying chasers Hold That Taught and Gorsky Island, the latter useful at his best.

VANILLIER Martaline – Virgata (Turgeon)

Runner-up in the Bobbyjo Chase last time when conceding weight to the high-class winner Kemboy, the former Albert Bartlett winner Vanillier has only had his stamina properly tested once over fences, and while he finished third in last season’s National Hunt Novices’ Chase he was beaten fully thirty lengths. His French sire Martaline has had plenty of good winners in Britain and Ireland, including this season’s high-class novice chaser Mighty Potter, with Ryanair Chase winner Dynaste the pick of his runners on Timeform ratings. Ramses de Teillee is Martaline’s best staying chaser, finishing runner-up in the Welsh Grand National earlier in his career.

Martaline has yet to make his mark as a sire in the Grand National, though his daughter Snow Leopardess was well fancied for last year’s race, having won the Becher Chase over the big fences earlier in the season, but was pulled up, as was Ramses de Teillee in his attempt. Martaline’s other Grand National runner Ucello Conti made three appearances in the race, shaping well when sixth on his first go and unseating on both subsequent tries but made much of the running and was still close up four out when parting company with his jockey on the second of those occasions. Vanillier’s dam won on the Flat in France but was pulled up in all three of her races over hurdles.

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