Will There Be a Shock Winner in the 2023 Grand National?
by Steve Ashfield | by Steve Ashfield
Another Win for Noble Yeats?
Saturday April 15 sees the Grand National being run at Aintree. It's one of the most famous races in the world and successfully choosing the winner is not an easy task. This is a race that attracts people who may well not bet on another race all year, such is its appeal. For regular gamblers, it's a race everyone looks forward too and picking the winner is something to brag about all year.
It takes a lot of effort to choose the winner of the Grand National. You need to look at the age and experience of those running. Have they coped with the Aintree fences such as Becher's Brook (above) and wlll they be effective over the distance?
Shock winners are a regular occurrence in the Grand National. The last favourite to win the race was Tiger Roll four years ago. That's also the only time in the past 13 years that the winner hasn't started at odds of at least 10/1. Last year saw Noble Yeats win the race at odds of 50/1. He's back this year but with much shorter odds.
Can Noble Yeats win for a second year in a row? The weight a horse has to carry is always important, especially wnen you have four miles and two and a half furlongs to travel and some very difficult fences to get over. Last year saw Noble Yeats carry 10st 10lbs to victory but this year the eight-year-old has 11st 11lbs on what is expected to be good to soft ground. A second win looks a very stiff task indeed.
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Can Corach Rambler Win the 2023 Grand National?
If Noble Yeats doesn't win the 2023 Grand National, then who will? Corach Rambler, trained by Lucinda Russell is the current favourite to win the race. The nine-year-old recently won the Ultima Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival and now bids to win the Grand National, He had over 11st to carry when winning that race but has just 10st 5lbs for this race.
Corach Rambler has already had one win at Aintree, being sucessful in a novices' chase two years ago. It all sounds good so far but the distance of this race has to be taken into consideration if you want to place a bet. Never before has Corach Rambler raced over a distance of further than three miles and five furlongs. If he can last out the extra distance, then he'll certainly be in the mix.
The Possible Shock Winners
Gordon Elliott (above left) certainly knows how to train the winner of the Grand National. He's done so three times, twice with the great Tiger Roll. The Irish trainer has a strong hand again in this year's race, especially with Delta Work who finished third in last year's Grand National. His last race produced a win in the Cross-Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Another bold bid is expected at Aintree. He has over 11st to carry though so a place looks the best option.
Available at around 33/1, Coko Beach is another Gordon Elliott that is expected to run well this weekend. 2022 saw this runner finish eighth behind Noble Yeats. There was a gap of 66 lengths between the two but there was a reason for that. A left-hind shoe was lost during the race so winning was never an option after that. A recent win in a Grand National trial at Punchestown was a promising performance and we might just see only a third grey to win the Grand National.
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Ireland had great success at the Cheltenham Festival and are expected to also have a good time at Aintree. One outsider that could spring a big surprise is Velvet Elvis but he won't be running in blue suede shoes or be way down the field. Velvet Elvis has had two good recent runs and only carries 10st 6lbs so if in the mood, a stay at Heartbreak Hotel might not be booked.
Could this be the year of the grey? Vanillier is around 20/1 to win the Grand National and is a former winner at the Cheltenham Festival. With only 10st 6lbs to carry around Aintree and if coping with the extended distance then a place could be achieved.
Longhouse Poet finished sixth in last year's Grand National but was in contention for a long while. With less weight to carry this year and hopefully a more patient ride, this Martin Brassil (who won this race 17 years ago) trained runner is another possible winner.
