Jonjo O’Neill is dreaming of another “magical” day at Aintree after the entries for this year’s renewal of the Randox Grand National were revealed.
O’Neill is bidding to win the world’s most famous steeplechase for a second time and has made three of the 107 entries which were confirmed at midday today - Cloth Cap, Easysland and Time To Get Up.
The prestigious Grade Three prize, which will take place on Saturday 9th April and is run over an extended four and a quarter miles, eluded O’Neill during his career as a jockey. However, the Jackdaws Castle Stables trainer finally got his hands on the coveted prize when saddling Don’t Push It, ridden by now retired 20 times champion jockey Sir AP McCoy, to glory in the 2010 renewal of the race.
And although that was 12 years ago O’Neill still remembers it as if it were yesterday. He said: “Winning the Grand National with Don’t Push It was magical. It was a brilliant day. It would be great to win it again and keep the show on the road.
“We’ve just three entries in the race this year in Cloth Cap, Easysland and Time To Get Up. There is a long way to go before they all get there though.”
Cloth Cap was sent of favourite for last year’s race following wins in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso. However, the Beneficial gelding failed to complete the course after being pulled up before the third last.
Despite failing to make an impression in his three starts this season since undergoing a wind operation, O’Neill remains optimistic that the 10 year old can bounce back to form.
Cloth Cap runs in the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings, who was a triple Grand National winning owner, and O’Neill said of the horse: “He was favourite for the race last year but unfortunately his wind gave up on him. Hopefully we have now got that fixed and we will go back to Aintree with him.
“It will be the same as last year for him in that he will either go to Doncaster (Grimthorpe Chase) or to the race he won at Kelso (Premier Chase) first.
“He does need genuine good ground though, otherwise he will have no chance. Although he does keep galloping he was a little bit free in last year’s race and he didn’t get home as his wind caught him out but hopefully he will get home this year.
“I think the handicapper overreacted to his Ladbrokes Trophy win in 2020 and it was a bit of a false reading. He started this season on a mark of 156 - he is back down to 147 but he will need that to get in.”
One of the more interesting entries in the race this year is O’Neill’s recent recruit Easysland, who is on course to make his stable debut at Sandown Park this Saturday in either the Virgin Bet Masters Handicap Chase or Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle.
The JP McManus-owned gelding has not been seen since finishing second at Cheltenham during the defence of his Glenfarclas Chase crown over the cross country fences at last year’s Festival on what was his final start for trainer Dominic Cottin.
O’Neill said: “The plan is to run him at Sandown on Saturday but as of yet I’m not sure which race in. He has been here for about a month now and in that time he has done a fair bit of swimming.
“He seems grand at the moment but it is a case of keeping the wheels on as he has been off the track since Cheltenham last year as he has had a few issues. He is quite a small horse and I was quite surprised when I saw him. He is not the quickest on the gallops, however he is in great form at home. We just need to find out where we are with him on the track now.
“If he comes out of this Saturday well I’d imagine that the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham will be his goal. Whether he goes to the Grand National I don’t know, but he has the entry.”
Time To Get Up, who like Easysland is also owned by JP McManus, failed to shine on his previous attempt over the famous Grand National fences in the Betway Grand Sefton Handicap Chase in November, but O’Neill believes the nine year old is worth another try over them.
The gelded son of Presenting will take in the Grade Three William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase over an extended three and a half miles at Haydock Park on February 19th ahead of a potential return to Aintree.
And he said: “Time To Get Up has had a few issues this season but the plan at the moment is to send him to Haydock Park for the Grand National Trial later this month.
“He just about got home in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter but he did what he needed to do. He is usually a good jumper but he didn’t jump well around Aintree in the Grand Sefton. He had a few issues and hopefully we have put them right so we will see how we get on in the Grand National Trial.
“We have to give him a second chance to have a go over the fences and then we can work out if they are not right for him. There are not many options for him as he is not the quickest and is one that just keeps galloping away. He would need the ground to be on the softer side though.”
Among the 107 entries for this year’s Randox Grand National are previous winners Tiger Roll, who claimed victory in both 2018 and 2019, and Minella Times, who triumphed in 2021 and helped Rachael Blackmore to become the first female jockey to win the prestigious race.
