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Grand National festival

Confirmed runners and riders for the 2023 Grand National at Aintree

Corach Rambler (left) and Noble Yeats: among the leading contenders in Saturday's Grand National line-up
Corach Rambler (left) and Noble Yeats: among the leading contenders in Saturday's Grand National line-up

A field of 39 horses will go to post for Saturday's Randox Grand National (5.15) at Aintree and they include last year's winner Noble Yeats and Corach Rambler, who is favourite for the world-famous event.

Any Second Now, runner-up last year and third in 2021, has also been declared and will carry 11st 12lb, the most weight any runner will shoulder.

Leading Irish fancies Delta Work, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Mr Incredible also line up, while Le Milos and Our Power are others who will represent Britain in the £1 million marathon, which is live on ITV's main channel at 5.15pm on Saturday.

A maximum field of 40 was expected before Escaria Ten's withdrawal on Saturday. Fakiera, Mortal, Darrens Hope, Captain Cattistock, Secret Reprieve and Fantastikas missed out, having been below the cut-off point when declarations were made.

Townend takes the ride on Gaillard Du Mesnil

Punters will be hoping they can find the winner and could latch on to the Willie Mullins-trained Gaillard Du Mesnil after stable jockey Paul Townend was confirmed to ride him.

Mullins, who won the race in 2005 with Hedgehunter, also relies on Capodanno, Carefully Selected, Mr Incredible and Recite A Prayer, but Townend will be on Gaillard Du Mesnil, most recently seen winning the National Hunt Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival.

In Townend, the seven-year-old has a jockey who produced a ride for the ages on stablemate I Am Maximus in Monday's Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

Unlike Mullins, Nicky Henderson has never won the National, but he possesses a plausible contender in the strapping Mister Coffey, who was third to Gaillard Du Mesnil at the festival.

Nico de Boinville, who must be the envy of the weighing room given his association with superstar hurdler Constitution Hill, will partner Mister Coffey, who runs in the colours of Lady and Alice Bamford.

Who else is in the Grand National running?

Venetia Williams famously won the 2009 National with 100-1 chance Mon Mome and bids for another triumph with Cloudy Glen, who carries the silks of the late Trevor Hemmings.

Hemmings adored the contest and owned Hedgehunter as well as Ballabriggs and Many Clouds, who were also successful.

The Robcour colours are not as famous as the yellow, green and white of Hemmings, but they could become better known should the well-backed Ain't That A Shame oblige.

He represents the Rachael Blackmore-Henry de Bromhead dream team who captured the 2021 running with Minella Times, while the maroon of Gigginstown House Stud – think dual recent Aintree hero Tiger Roll – will be sported by the riders of Fury Road, Delta Work, Coko Beach and Diol Ker.

"As expected there is a full field of 40 for the Randox Grand National, which is always a welcome number for what remains by far the biggest betting race of the year, a race that will once again see millions of people have their annual flutter, leading to turnover of £150 million," said Coral's David Stevens.

"Corach Rambler has been at the head of the betting since his victory at last month's Cheltenham Festival, but Lucinda Russell's charge is by no means certain to be sent off favourite on Saturday, with Delta Work a mover in recent days, and last year's winner Noble Yeats also prominent in the market."


5.15 Aintree (Saturday, April 15): Randox Grand National racecard and betting

Forecast odds: 8 Ain't That A Shame, 9 Corach Rambler, Delta Work, 11 Noble Yeats, 12 Gaillard Du Mesnil, 14 Any Second Now, Le Milos, Mr Incredible, The Big Dog, 16 Vanillier, 18 Longhouse Poet, 20 bar


2023 Grand National: the list of runners and riders

1. Any Second Now Mark Walsh
2. Noble Yeats Sean Bowen
3. Galvin Davy Russell
4. Fury Road Jonjo O'Neill Jr
5. The Big Dog Aidan Coleman
6. Capodanno Danny Mullins
7. Delta Work Keith Donoghue
8. Sam Brown Johnny Burke
9. Lifetime Ambition Sean O'Keeffe
10. Carefully Selected Michael O'Sullivan
11. Coko Beach Harry Cobden
12. Longhouse Poet JJ Slevin
13. Gaillard Du Mesnil Paul Townend
14. Darasso
Luke Dempsey
15. Le Milos Harry Skelton
16. Escaria Ten NON-RUNNER
17. The Big Breakaway Brendan Powell
18. Cape Gentleman Jody McGarvey
19. Roi Mage
Felix de Giles
20. Diol Ker Kieren Buckley
21. A Wave Of The Sea
Shane Fitzgerald
22. Minella Trump Theo Gillard
23. Vanillier Sean Flanagan
24. Velvet Elvis
Darragh O'Keeffe
25. Ain't That A Shame
Rachael Blackmore
26. Corach Rambler Derek Fox
27. Enjoy D'Allen Simon Torrens
28. Mr Incredible
Brian Hayes
29. Mister Coffey
Nico de Boinville
30. Cloudy Glen Charlie Deutsch
31. Hill Sixteen Ryan Mania
32. Gabbys Cross Peter Carberry
33. Recite A Prayer
Jack Foley
34. Eva's Oskar
Alan Johns
35. Our Power Sam Twiston-Davies
36. Dunboyne Jack Tudor
37. Francky Du Berlais Ben Jones
38. Fortescue Hugh Nugent
39. Back On The Lash Adam Wedge
40. Born By The Sea Phillip Enright


2023 Grand National: best betting offers

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  • Join Paddy Power and back one horse and get another one free – plus they are paying six places on the Grand National. Sign up here.
  • Sign up to Sky Bet and you will get seven places if you're placing an each-way bet on the Grand National. Anyone with an account can claim these, but sign up here if you don't have an account.
  • New Betfair customers can get a free bet when they sign up and also get six places on the Grand National. Sign up for a new account here.
  • New William Hill customers can claim a free bet for Sunday if they bet on the Grand National on Saturday and can also benefit from six places on the Grand National here.
  • Ladbrokes are going six places on the Grand National. Sign up for a new account here.
  • Coral are paying six places on the Grand National. Not got an account? Sign up here to benefit from the extra places here.
  • If you're a new customer, Tote will give you a free bet. Sign up here to claim.
  • Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.

Grand National tip and 1-2-3-4 prediction

Gaillard Du Mesnil
2 Our Power
3 Noble Yeats
4 Cloudy Glen

By James Hill, tipster

Three horses in particular stand out. Last year's winner Noble Yeats is a much improved horse 12 months on, offsetting the fact he's 19lb higher. Nothing is better treated than Corach Rambler, who is 10lb well in after his victory at Cheltenham, but the value among the principals could be Gaillard Du Mesnil, who also comes into the race off the back of a win at the festival.

He's trained by Willie Mullins, is set to be ridden by Paul Townend and this grey is rock-solid. He's never finished outside the three over obstacles so expect his price to shorten.

The best value among the British contenders lies with Our Power, who is unbeaten this season and will be at least 4lb well in. He's progressive and has to be in with a shout.

Two outsiders worth a mention are Cloudy Glen and Recite A Prayer. Both underperformed last time, but the Ultima might have come too soon for Cloudy Glen after his reappearance at Haydock. The form of his Coral Gold Cup success last season is sound and he's trained by someone who's won the race before in Venetia Williams.

Recite A Prayer hasn't shown anything since the autumn, but his second in the Kerry National is a good piece of form. He's related to Old Vic, a sire who has a great race record.

Silk
Gaillard Du Mesnil17:15 Aintree
View Racecard
Jky: Paul Townend Tnr: W P Mullins

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Grand National 2023 tips: why this horse can win the big race at Aintree 

2023 Grand National tips: Racing Post experts predict the first four home 

Who will win the 2023 Grand National at Aintree based on previous trends? 

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Lambourn correspondent

Published on inGrand National festival

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