2023 Grand National pinstickers' guide: David Jennings has his say on the Aintree runners and riders
A field of 39 runners will go to post for the world's most famous chase but who will come out on top? Read our runner-by-runner guide featuring top quotes and star ratings for the big race live on ITV at 5.15 on Saturday.
5.15 Aintree (Saturday, April 15): Randox Grand National racecard and betting
1 Any Second Now
DJ's view: Daylight robbery that he had this race stolen from him in 2021. Badly hampered by a faller that year and returned 12 months later to chase home Noble Yeats when favourite. You just wonder if it will be third time unlucky with this ridiculous rating. Will be among the finishers, though, but probably somewhere between third and seventh.
Trainer view: Ted Walsh: "He's in good nick and good shape. I'd be happy if he ran as good a race as last year. If he can get a good run and finish in the first three or four with the extra weight, and prove he's still as good as he was, I'd be very happy with him."
Star rating: ***
2 Noble Yeats
DJ's view: Last year's winner at 50-1. Were you on him? No, me neither. Anyway, you won't get anything like that price here but he's now a proper Grade 1 horse. If he's in contention crossing three from home, watch out. Classy.
Trainer view: Emmet Mullins: "It's about getting the horse happy and confident with some space and getting the gaps. He will probably have to take the brave man's route again but he negotiated it last year and fingers crossed can do it again."
Star rating: ***
3 Galvin
DJ's view: The last hurrah for his rider and winning the Grand National on his final ride would be a real Davy Russell thing to do. Sam Waley-Cohen did exactly that last year, could lightning strike twice? Perhaps. Place prospects at the very least.
Trainer view: Gordon Elliott: "We had to rush him to get to Cheltenham so I think you'll see a different Galvin here. He has definitely improved since the Cross Country and it's a route we've taken before to the Grand National with Tiger Roll. He's moving really well and looks great. The better the ground, the better his chance."
Star rating: ****
4 Fury Road
DJ's view: Classy operator, but doesn't find much when push comes to shove. Likely to be one of the last off the bridle but hard to see him lasting. Dodgy stayer. Not for me.
Trainer view: Gordon Elliott: "He has a lot of class, and if he takes to the fences, he is capable of running well. We schooled him over some National fences last week and he seemed to enjoy it. He won't want too much rain."
Star rating: **
5 The Big Dog
DJ's view: Keith Donoghue has deserted him for Delta Work. Was in the process of running a big race when coming down two out in the Irish Gold Cup. The Big Dog has enjoyed two big days already this season in the Munster National and Troytown. I'm not sure he will have a third here. Reluctantly overlooked.
Trainer view: Peter Fahey: "Everything has gone great in his prep and he travelled over brilliant. At the start of the season, our aim was Aintree and he's won two of the biggest handicap chases in Ireland on the way and ran a huge race in the Welsh National. We're as confident as you could be going into a race like the Grand National, and with a bit of luck, he can run well."
Star rating: **
6 Capodanno
DJ's view: Remember this guy? Yes, this is the same Capodanno who won a Grade 1 novice chase at Punchestown at the end of last season. He had Lifetime Ambition and Fury Road a long way behind him there. The problem is we haven't seen much of him since. Intriguing.
Trainer view: Willie Mullins: "He's got class. He might lack a bit of mileage for a race like this but you're hoping his class could make up for that. He's been in great form at home."
Star rating: ***
7 Delta Work
DJ's view: Everyone in the Gordon Elliott camp seems to think he's better now than he was last season. The trainer had no hesitation in nominating him as his best chance of winning a fourth Grand National. Hard to see him finishing out of the frame. Solid.
Trainer view: Gordon Elliott: "He's flying and I couldn’t be any happier with him. He seems to be in a better place going into the race this year than he was last year. Any rain would help him. He had to use a fair bit of petrol to get into a challenging position last year and he just ran out of puff up the run-in. He's a better horse this year."
Star rating: ****
8 Sam Brown
DJ's view: Used to think he needed a bog and then he went and bolted up by 15 lengths on a decent surface in the handicap chase on the supporting card this day last year. Who knows what he will do here. I certainly don't.
Trainer view: Anthony Honeyball: "He's had a breathing operation since his last run, he's schooled well over National fences and he won on the card last year to show he doesn't need testing ground."
Star rating: **
9 Lifetime Ambition
DJ's view: Fourth in the Grand Sefton. Third in the John Durkan. Second in the Troytown. First in the Grand National? Should not be 33-1. Tempting.
Trainer view: Jessica Harrington: "I was delighted to see the way the ground was drying out but they watered and then it started raining so now I'm worried. He's travelled over great and everything has gone well in the lead-up."
Star rating: ***
10 Carefully Selected
DJ's view: In and out performer. When he's in he can look very good. When he's out he can look very bad. Was out last time in the Bobbyjo. He's getting on a bit. Not for me.
Trainer view: Willie Mullins: "I'm loving every drop of rain that falls for this fella. He jumps, he gallops and he stays."
Star rating: *
11 Coko Beach
DJ's view: Eighth last year and loved it. Likely to love it again until the second-last. That's when he goes looking for the nearest petrol station and I'm not sure he’ll find one. Terrific jockey aboard in Harry Cobden, though.
Trainer view: Gordon Elliott: "He's been a star for us and ran very well for a long way last year. He looked better than ever at Punchestown last time."
Star rating: **
12 Longhouse Poet
DJ's view: Looked a likely winner for a long way last year and went below 7-2 in-running on Betfair. Running on fumes from the second-last but a year older, a year stronger and has been trained to the minute for this by a master in Martin Brassil. Chance.
Trainer view: Martin Brassil: "It was a good performance at Down Royal the last day and it was nice to get back on even keel with him after his mishap at Fairyhouse. All since then has been good and we're happy with him. He jumped very well in the race last year when he finished sixth and he seemed to really enjoy it. If he has the same appetite for it this year then hopefully he can run well."
Star rating: ****
13 Gaillard Du Mesnil
DJ's view: Last year's Irish National third most recently justified odds-on favouritism in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. Mullins and Townend teamed up to win the Irish Grand National on Monday and this chap is more than capable of providing them with a famous double. Hard to rule out.
Trainer view: Willie Mullins: "He's in tip-top order and everything has gone really nicely for him since Cheltenham. The one thing I would say is we didn't have the clearest of trips over to Aintree with the horses we have running in the National. There were quite a few delays for them along the way with the ferry. That is the only negative with Gaillard Du Mesnil though."
Star rating: ***
14 Darasso
DJ's view: Almost identically rated over hurdles and fences. Versatile but exposed. Not for me and shouldn't be for you either.
Trainer view: Joseph O'Brien: "I feel he should get the trip. Anything can happen in the Grand National but given luck in running he could have a fair each-way chance."
Star rating: *
15 Le Milos
DJ's view: A big British hope. Coral Gold Cup winner. Expected to step up on what he showed at Kelso. More positives than negatives about his hopes.
Trainer view: Dan Skelton: "Le Milos is in really good form. He's versatile regarding the ground and I think he'll stay, so he's got a good profile for the race."
Star rating: ***
16 Escaria Ten
NON-RUNNER
17 The Big Breakaway
DJ's view: He has threatened to win a big one since about 1970. Almost had his day in the sun in the rain at Chepstow over Christmas when runner-up in the Welsh Grand National. Blinkers on at last. He's needed them for a while. Has the ability and has a squeak.
Trainer view: Joe Tizzard: "The extra distance will help him. The rain this week will suit him as well. He has got a big enough engine to run a big race."
Star rating: ***
18 Cape Gentleman
DJ's view: Shark Hanlon said he was "absolutely brilliant" when they schooled him over the National-style fences at the Curragh recently. Shark has pulled a rabbit out of his hat with Hewick, I'm not sure there is another one hidden in there.
Trainer view: Shark Hanlon: "He stayed very well on the Flat and he's really come to himself in the last couple of weeks. I couldn't be happier with him."
Star rating: *
19 Roi Mage
DJ's view: Has bits and pieces of form that would make you look twice. 40-1 is a big price. Maybe too big.
Assistant trainer view: James Griffin: "Everything has been good with him in his preparation and hopefully with a bit of luck he should run a big race. He has the ability to travel through a race like this. He's in great form and the ground looks like it will be no excuse. If he runs as well as he looks then he will be crossing the Melling Road with a chance."
Star rating: ***
20 Diol Ker
DJ's view: Narrowly denied in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown but stopped quickly next time at Punchestown. You never really know what you're going to get from him. Although you probably do here. Unlikely to be involved.
Trainer view: Noel Meade: "He's a big, staying horse and has the ability to run well. He seems in good shape and this track will definitely suit him better than Punchestown. He needs to get in a nice rhythm early, and if he does, we have a chance."
Star rating: **
21 A Wave Of The Sea
DJ's view: Pulled up on two of his last four starts. You would need some imagination to envisage this one winning.
Trainer view: Joseph O'Brien: "Although he has never faced the Aintree fences, I think he will be fine and he always runs his race."
Star rating: *
22 Minella Trump
DJ's view: A winning machine – 11-21 record – but at a lower level. Never ran beyond 3m. Might not get home and might not be good enough. That might not be a great combination.
Trainer view: Donald McCain: "He's a great little horse and I don’t know if he's going under the radar a bit as he knows how to win. We've got a good racing weight."
Star rating: *
23 Vanillier
DJ's view: Has not always looked in love with jumping fences but the 2021 Albert Bartlett winner is a relentless galloper and, if he happens to get into a rhythm early, he won't be far away. He's a giant grey so easy to spot.
Trainer view: Gavin Cromwell: "It was a great run in the Bobbyjo and this has been the target all season. The trip should suit him well and his jumping has been a lot better this season. He had an issue with a kissing spine last season which didn't help his jumping but he has been gaining confidence with every start since so we're hopeful of a big run."
Star rating: ***
24 Velvet Elvis
DJ's view: Irish Grand National-winning trainer has said all season the Aintree showpiece has been on his mind for Velvet Elvis. I wouldn't be all shook up if he won. It's now or never, but he's not for me.
Trainer view: Thomas Gibney: "He's come back to form on his last few runs and his prep has gone well for this. We're very happy with him, he's settled in well over here and we're looking forward to giving it a go. We're hopeful he will stay the trip – you don't know until you try but he ran well in the Irish National last year."
Star rating: **
25 Ain't That A Shame
DJ's view: Should have won the Munster National but didn't. Should have won the Paddy Power Chase but didn't. The handicapper must have been in a good mood when assigning him a mark of 146, the same as his Irish one. There is no shame whatsoever in backing him. I will and you should too. I think he wins it.
Trainer view: Henry de Bromhead: "He looks to have the right sort of profile and he's been unlucky not to win a big one this season."
Star rating: *****
26 Corach Rambler
DJ's view: Had been favourite for ages and understandably so. I'm not sure he can afford to give away so much ground early on. His running style puts me off.
Trainer view: Lucinda Russell: "Corach is so brave and tough, just what you need for the race. He just loves it – for him, racing is a game, dodging between horses. It's resilience."
Star rating: ***
27 Enjoy D'Allen
DJ's view: JP McManus bought him to win a Grand National and some shrewd judges were fancying him in this last year. Only got as far as the first. Has been poor this season, though, hence a 2lb lower mark.
Trainer view: Ciaran Murphy: "We're very happy with him, he seems to have sparked into life over here. We know we need a lot of luck but we're hoping if he gets into a nice rhythm over the first three or four then he can run a good race."
Star rating: *
28 Mr Incredible
DJ's view: The maverick. Sometimes he doesn't want to move, but lately he's becoming a fan of moving. If he gets it into his head that he wants to move, he will be moving faster than most at the business end. Dangerous.
Jockey view: Brian Hayes: "He stays very well and seems to come into his own over these long trips. He's an intelligent jumper and has plenty of scope, so hopefully the National fences will suit."
Star rating: ***
29 Mister Coffey
DJ's view: Yet to win over fences, but neither had Rule The World before he won this in 2016. Finished tired in the National Hunt Chase. I have my doubts.
Trainer view: Nicky Henderson: "He ran a great race at Cheltenham and you pay your money and you take your chance. He's got good credentials, but it's the trainer's credentials you want to worry about!"
Star rating: *
30 Cloudy Glen
DJ's view: Hard to get excited about anything he has done since he won the Coral Gold Cup in 2021 but the track and the trip might be right up his street.
Trainer view: Venetia Williams: "The first challenge will be at the start. Hopefully he'll jump off and head in the right direction. We'll probably have to start on the outside, but that won't be a problem. It will be tough, but he'd have a squeak like most of them."
Star rating: ***
31 Hill Sixteen
DJ's view: Ran reasonably well in the Becher in December but he didn't scream Grand National winner to me. He didn't even whisper it.
Trainer view: Sandy Thomson: "I'm really looking forward to it. If the going description has soft in it, that would be brilliant. He's jumped round twice and he should be staying on at the business end."
Star rating: *
32 Gabbys Cross
DJ's view: Now here's a horse at a massive price with a massive chance. There are times you watch him and think some day he will win a big one. Then there are other days when you wonder if he ever will. If he's in the same sort of form as when sixth in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown, he could sneak into the placings. Respected.
Trainer view: Henry de Bromhead: "If he takes to it I could see him going well. He's got bits and pieces of form, like in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown, that would make you think he might have a squeak."
Star rating: ****
33 Recite A Prayer
DJ's view: The most complimentary thing you can say about this guy is he is trained by Willie Mullins. That is where the positive comments end.
Trainer view: Willie Mullins: "He didn't run badly in the Becher and I'm hoping that experience will stand him in good stead."
Star rating: *
34 Eva's Oskar
DJ's view: Produced two cracking efforts back-to-back at Cheltenham during the first half of the season. Likes to be up there, but how long he can stay up there is debatable. Not for me.
Trainer view: Tim Vaughan: "This has been the plan, he ran a stunning race off top weight in gluey ground at Newcastle, he's got a nice light weight this time and he's in good shape."
Star rating: *
35 Our Power
DJ's view: On a roll and knows how to win. One of the leading hopes for the home team. Getting better with every start. Plenty to like. Will he stay? I’m not so sure.
Trainer view: Sam Thomas: "It's obviously a big ask but I'm looking forward to it. We just need a lot of luck."
Star rating: **
36 Dunboyne
DJ's view: A whisker away from winning the Thyestes and blinkers have been applied since finishing fourth in the Kim Muir. A sneaky one.
Trainer view: Gordon Elliott: "Ran a cracker in the Thyestes and if he returned to that sort of form he could outrun his odds. He's not a bad horse when things fall his way."
Star rating: ***
37 Francky Du Berlais
DJ's view: Has a R at the front of his form figures, but that's harsh. He looked set to finish third at the last in the Cross Country Chase before he refused. Francky, my dear, you probably should give a damn about him.
Trainer view: Peter Bowen: "He's in good form and hopefully the ground won't be too soft. He finished fourth in the Topham so he knows his way round. He was unlucky at Cheltenham as a loose horse came across him, otherwise he would have finished third."
Star rating: ***
38 Fortescue
DJ's view: Blinkers on and beat Fiddlerontheroof last season. Fourth in the Becher but might not fare as well here.
Trainer view: Henry Daly: "He was running a perfectly nice race last year on ground that was probably faster than he would have liked. He's been around there since, in the Becher, where he ran a nice race to be a staying-on fourth."
Star rating: *
39 Back On The Lash
DJ's view: Ground went against him at Cheltenham. That said, even on a more suitable surface here he could struggle to get heavily involved at the business end. Likely to finish somewhere between sixth and 12th.
Trainer view: Martin Keighley: "You can put a line through his last run as the ground was too soft but his win the previous time puts him in the mix and he's far better on decent ground."
Star rating: **
40 Born By The Sea
DJ's view: He is not likely to make any sort of a splash.
Trainer view: Paul John Gilligan: "He didn't do a stroke early in the race at Cheltenham and he came home very strongly. We're hoping the trip won't be a bother to him."
Star rating: *
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Read these next:
2023 Grand National: the runners, the odds, the verdict
Grand National 2023 tips: why this horse can win the big race at Aintree
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