Randox Grand National: Irish trio top the weights

The Irish-trained trio have all been allotted 11st 12lb, one pound more than last year's winner Noble Yeats and Galvin. Royal Pagaille (11st 8lb) is the highest-weighed horse among the British team.

BHA Chase Handicapper Martin Greenwood who framed the weights said: “This year we are doing well at the top end for horses rated in the 150s and 160s and there are a handful of very good horses entered, including last year’s winner Noble Yeats.

“Noble Yeats has around 20lbs more than last year but his form this season in Graded races is the reason for that. The three horses at the top of the handicap - Conflated, Any Second Now and Hewick - you would think are all quite likely to run and it’s very positive that the quality of the race at the top end of the handicap is well up to standard.

“As regards Hewick’s win in the American Grand National, we officially regard that race as a hurdle race on our system as the obstacles there are a kind of mix between our hurdles and fences. The hurdle team had him running up to a mark in the mid-150s when he won that day and I don’t think it told us anything about him we didn’t already know really. Obviously the fact he cost so little, won at Sandown Park, was unlucky when he unseated at Listowel, has been over to America and won means he is the feelgood story of the race. His trainer has been very positive and I hope he runs.

“There weren’t any horses that caused me any particular difficulties this year - they were all more or less straightforward horses. In terms of getting a run on the day, I would say you would be looking at horses rated around 142 or 143.

When I get the entries, I try to get my homework done on the Irish entries, as well as keeping up with the Irish racing which is going on at the same time as that in Britain. I make notes every time I watch a race and give them a header to jolt my memory if needed, but sometimes I do find myself going back and looking at the odd race replay.

“This race has been a bit different as we had the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park on Saturday and Grand National Trial at Punchestown yesterday, which both usually take place after the weights have come out. I put up Quick Wave (who won Saturday’s Haydock Park trial) by 4lbs and Coko Beach (successful at Punchestown) by 9lbs. I thought Coko Beach was very impressive and he seemed to benefit from a more patient ride.

“As a handicapper, your aim is to run with what you assess to be the correct weight but with an early-closing race, particularly the Grand National, you are always going to have horses that go up and down but there is nothing I can do and my hands are tied.”

2023 Randox Grand National weights

1 Any Second Now (IRE) 11 11 12 167 Mr John P. McManus Ted Walsh IRE

2 Conflated (IRE) 9 11 12 167 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

3 Hewick (IRE) 8 11 12 167 Mr T. J. Mcdonald John Hanlon IRE

4 Galvin (IRE) 9 11 11 166 Mr R. A. Bartlett Gordon Elliott IRE

5 Noble Yeats (IRE) 8 11 11 166 Mr Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins IRE

6 Envoi Allen (FR) 9 11 8 163 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead IRE

7 Royale Pagaille (FR) 9 11 8 163 Mrs S. Ricci Venetia Williams

8 Fury Road (IRE) 9 11 6 161 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

9 Capodanno (FR) 7 11 5 160 Mr John P. McManus Willie Mullins IRE

10 The Big Dog (IRE) 10 11 5 160 Damien J. Kelly/Colin Kelly Peter Fahey IRE

11 Delta Work (FR) 10 11 4 159 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

12 Sam Brown (GB) 11 11 4 159 Mr T. C. Frost Anthony Honeyball

13 Franco de Port (FR) 8 11 3 158 Bruton Street V Willie Mullins IRE

14 Lifetime Ambition (IRE) 8 11 3 158 Linda Mulcahy/Mary Wolridge Jessica Harrington IRE

15 Carefully Selected (IRE) 11 11 1 156 Miss M. A. Masterson Willie Mullins IRE

16 Chris's Dream (IRE) 11 11 0 155 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE

17 Coko Beach (FR) 8 11 0 155 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

18 Gaillard du Mesnil (FR) 7 11 0 155 Mrs J. Donnelly Willie Mullins IRE

19 Longhouse Poet (IRE) 9 11 0 155 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil IRE

*20 Minella Times (IRE) 10 11 0 155 Mr John P. McManus Henry de Bromhead IRE

21 Darasso (FR) 10 10 13 154 Mr John P. McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE

22 Burrows Saint (FR) 10 10 12 153 Mrs S. Ricci Willie Mullins IRE

23 Pencilfulloflead (IRE) 9 10 12 153 Robcour Gordon Elliott IRE

24 Ga Law (FR) 7 10 11 152 The Footie Partnership Jamie Snowden

25 Happygolucky (IRE) 9 10 11 152 Lady Dulverton Kim Bailey

26 Le Milos (GB) 8 10 11 152 The Jolly Good Partnership Dan Skelton

27 Quick Wave (FR) 10 10 11 152 Ms Sharon Kinsella Venetia Williams

28 The Shunter (IRE) 10 10 11 152 Mr John P. McManus Emmet Mullins IRE

29 Escaria Ten (FR) 9 10 10 151 McNeill Family Gordon Elliott IRE

30 Farclas (FR) 9 10 10 151 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

31 Remastered (GB) 10 10 10 151 Brocade Racing David Pipe

32 The Big Breakaway (IRE) 8 10 10 151 Eric Jones, Geoff Nicholas, John Romans Joe Tizzard

33 Threeunderthrufive (IRE) 8 10 9 150 McNeill Family Paul Nicholls

34 Cape Gentleman (IRE) 7 10 8 149 Mr Pierre Manigault John Hanlon IRE

35 Cilaos Emery (FR) 11 10 8 149 The Has Been's Sophie Leech

36 Diol Ker (FR) 9 10 8 149 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE

37 Roi Mage (FR) 11 10 8 149 Pryde/Van Der Hoeven/McGladery/Beaumont Patrick Griffin IRE

38 A Wave of The Sea (IRE) 7 10 6 147 Mr John P. McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE

39 Minella Trump (IRE) 9 10 6 147 Mr T. G. Leslie Donald McCain

40 Vanillier (FR) 8 10 6 147 Mrs H. M. Keaveney Gavin Cromwell IRE

41 Velvet Elvis (IRE) 7 10 6 147 Mr D. Kierans Tom Gibney IRE

42 Ain't That A Shame (IRE) 9 10 5 146 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE

43 Corach Rambler (IRE) 9 10 5 146 The Ramblers Lucinda Russell

44 Enjoy d'Allen (FR) 9 10 5 146 Mr John P. McManus Ciaran Murphy IRE

45 Lord Lariat (IRE) 8 10 5 146 P.Blake/Patrick John Casey Dermot McLoughlin IRE

46 Ash Tree Meadow (FR) 7 10 4 145 Alymer Stud Ltd Gordon Elliott IRE

47 Battleoverdoyen (IRE) 10 10 4 145 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE

48 Cloudy Glen (IRE) 10 10 4 145 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Venetia Williams

49 Gin On Lime (FR) 7 10 4 145 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE

50 Mister Coffey (FR) 8 10 4 145 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson

51 Mr Incredible (IRE) 7 10 4 145 Mr P. Byrne Willie Mullins IRE

52 Ashtown Lad (IRE) 9 10 3 144 Darren & Annaley Yates Dan Skelton

53 Gabbys Cross (IRE) 8 10 2 143 Mr R. S. Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead IRE

54 Hill Sixteen (GB) 10 10 2 143 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson

55 Eva's Oskar (IRE) 9 10 1 142 Sally & Richard Prince Tim Vaughan

56 Rapper (GB) 9 10 1 142 The Home Farm Partnership Henry Daly

57 Recite A Prayer (IRE) 8 10 1 142 The Turner Family Willie Mullins IRE

58 Death Duty (IRE) 12 10 0 141 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

59 Dunboyne (IRE) 8 10 0 141 S. P. O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE

60 Francky du Berlais (FR) 10 10 0 141 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen

61 Frontal Assault (IRE) 8 10 0 141 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

62 Our Power (IRE) 8 10 0 141 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas

63 Sporting John (IRE) 8 10 0 141 Mr John P. McManus Philip Hobbs

64 Back On The Lash (GB) 9 9 13 140 Maughan, Redknapp, Ryan, Salters Martin Keighley

65 Fortescue (GB) 9 9 13 140 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly

66 Defi Bleu (FR) 10 9 12 139 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

67 Born By The Sea (IRE) 9 9 10 137 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE

68 Gevrey (FR) 7 9 10 137 Denis Gallagher Racing Gordon Elliott IRE

69 Milan Native (IRE) 10 9 10 137 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

70 Punitive (IRE) 9 9 10 137 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE

71 Captain Kangaroo (IRE) 8 9 8 135 Kanga Racing & Brett Graham Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

72 Darrens Hope (IRE) 9 9 8 135 Robert Murphy Robert Murphy IRE

73 Fakiera (FR) 8 9 8 135 Mr T. O'Driscoll Gordon Elliott IRE

74 Mortal (IRE) 11 9 8 135 Mr A. Dunlop Gordon Elliott IRE

75 Captain Cattistock (GB) 10 9 5 132 Mr Nic Brereton Fergal O'Brien

76 Fantastikas (FR) 8 9 5 132 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Nigel Twiston-Davies

77 Secret Reprieve (IRE) 9 9 5 132 Mr & Mrs William Rucker Evan Williams

78 Glamorgan Duke (IRE) 10 9 1 128 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE

*Henry de Bromhead announced the retirement of Minella Times this morning (Tuesday 21st February)

SCRATCHED; Fiddlerontheroof (IRE), Grumpy Charley (GB), Iwilldoit (GB), Riders Onthe Storm (IRE)

NOT QUALIFIED: Chemical Energy (IRE), Nearly Perfect (GB), Minella Crooner (IRE)