Randox Grand National: Look at the Willie Mullins team

But he does want to win the Randox Grand National and slowly but surely, has been strengthening his hand for the Aintree showpiece.

The main National talk to come out of the Cheltenham Festival was the performance of Corach Rambler in finishing third behind the Galopin Des Champs in the Boodles Gold Cup.

It was a good run, Lucinda Russell feels the perfect Aintree prep and if Martin Greenwood was able to have one more swing at him, the BHA handicapper would raise him three pounds.

But only three. And elsewhere at the Festival a Mullins project also ran a fine trial of his own in finishing third at Prestbury Park.

Meetingofthewaters went through the Ultima like a very well handicapped horse, impressing with how he jumped, handled the hurly burly and looking every inch a National horse.

He’s only had six starts for WP Mullins – there must be the chance there’s more to come and he now looks a big player on the second Saturday of April.

We already knew stablemate I Am Maximus is after his Bobbyjo defeat of Vanillier but it’s all about rhythm with him and whether his jumping will stand up.

Then there’s Capodanno who found the drop back to an extended two-and-a-half miles too sharp in the Ryanair Chase but was doing all his best work at the finish to take fourth behind Protektorat.

It didn’t happen for him at Aintree last season, pulling up after losing touch from the fifth last. That was off the back of an interrupted preparation and light campaign, mind, and it’s interesting the Closutton team weren’t put off from having another go. They even decided to shelve a Gold Cup bid for 12 months to target it.

Mr Incredible has been called other things than incredible over the years but was on his best behaviour in the Midlands National last week, racing sweetly and lumping 12 stone into second place behind Beauport.

He was running OK in last year’s April spectacular when unseating at the second Canal Turn and is another string to the Mullins bow.

So is Adamantly Chosen who, like his aforementioned stablemate, left qualification for this year’s National late but booked his ticket when thumping his rivals over three miles two at Down Royal on Sunday.

And there’s Stattler too. He enjoyed a trip to England last week but didn’t get to strut his stuff for the general public after the cross-country chase was abandoned because of waterlogging.

That was to be his final stop on the Road to Aintree now it’s a direct route from a fourth place finish behind Coko Beach over the banks at Punchestown where he was very much learning on the job.

There could be other representatives. Janidil, Asterion Forlonges, Classic Getaway, James Du Berlais and Bronn would all get in if they were to head to Merseyside as outsiders – Glengouly is likely to if switched from the Topham. Mullins could have up to ten runners this year – and among them are six who would look to hold chances – and some very strong ones.

Willie’s in the National? Meetingofthewaters for me.

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