A number of horses that impressed in the 2022 Grand National are still in the reckoning for this year’s Aintree prize, after the five-day declaration stage left a total of 50 runners.
That number will shortly be whittled down to a maximum of 40 horses, plus four reserves, with Gevrey, Defi Blue, Punitive and Milan Native all expected to bow out after running in Easter Monday’s gruelling Irish Grand National where only six horses made it round.
Of the 40 that are expected to line-up at Aintree this Saturday, three will do so as Cheltenham Festival winners, after favourite Corach Rambler, Delta Work and Gaillard Du Mesnil all enjoyed success over the famous Prestbury Park fences.
The likes of Noble Yeats, Any Second Now and Longhouse Poet may prove most popular on race day though, given once-a-year punters will have positive memories of those names based on their performances 12 months ago.
A glance at last year’s Grand National results reminds us how well the trio fared, with Noble Yeats eventually seeing off the challenge of Any Second Now, and Longhouse remaining right in contention until tiring a couple of fences from home.
Those looking for a new winner, or bigger odds, may prefer to look for clues in this year’s Virtual Grand National, while there are potential stories throughout the field including Back On The Lash who is part owned by former Premier League football manager Harry Redknapp.
