Gordon Elliott 'couldn't be happier' with Delta Work as he assesses strong Grand National squad

Gordon Elliott is set to have a starting team of six for the Randox Grand National, but the trainer had no hesitation in nominating Delta Work as his best chance of winning the race for a third time on Saturday week. 

Delta Work was last seen winning the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham for a second time last month and is now no bigger than 10-1 for the National. 

He was beaten 22 lengths into third by Noble Yeats in the race last year, but Elliott feels he is coming into it in better form 12 months on and has been really impressed by his recent work. 

When asked which of his six he would ride in the National if he were still a jockey, Elliott replied: "Delta Work, but the last time I rode around the course, I broke my arm! I hadn't much luck around there, but I was only an ordinary amateur. I enjoy training horses a lot more than I did riding them."

Elaborating on Delta Work's chance, he said: "He was third in the race last year, he ran well, but he got caught a bit far out of his ground early on and he was a bit careful in the early stages too. He still ran a very good race. 

"He's in great form since Cheltenham and is working great. I actually couldn't be happier with him and he'd be the one I would ride, for sure."

Galvin, who made Delta Work pull out all the stops at Cheltenham, Fury Road, Coko Beach, Escaria Ten and Dunboyne will complete the Elliott team in the National. 

He said of their chances: "The drier the ground, the better for Galvin. He'll have come on a lot from Cheltenham. I'm very happy with him. 

Gordon Elliott: poised to run six in the Grand National at Aintree next weekCredit: Debbie Burt

"It will be Fury Road's first time stepping up to a trip like this, but he's a Grade 1 horse, a classy horse, and is in very good form. A bit of nice ground would suit him.

"Coko Beach ran well in the race last year and won a Grand National trial at Punchestown. Escaria Ten travelled well for a long way last year but didn't get home. We're going to drop him in this year and take our time. We'll do things a bit differently.

"We'll put a pair of blinkers on Dunboyne and he'll only have 10st. He stays really, really well. If he got into a rhythm and didn't get caught too far back early, he will be coming home very strongly.

"The Grand National is a very special race to me, I've won it three times and I'd love to win it again. I hope to have another 20 or 30 years of my training career ahead of me so hopefully I can win it again at some stage."

Gerri Colombe bids to bounce back from Cheltenham defeat

Elliott is set to have about 25 runners at the Grand National meeting, including Gerri Colombe, who narrowly lost his unbeaten record in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham when touched off by The Real Whacker. 

Elliott said: "The way it's fallen we look like we're going to have a very good team for Aintree. Willie [Mullins] can be very strong at Punchestown so we said we'd send a few to Aintree.

Gerri Colombe: Brown Advisory second will head to Aintree Credit: Mark Cranham

"Gerri Colombe will run in the Grade 1 novice chase over three miles. He'll have an entry at Punchestown as well, but we'd be a bit nervous that the ground could dry out a bit before then. Not that he needs soft ground, but he is an awful lot more effective with some dig. 

"Conflated will go for the Bowl. He's in good form and ran very well in the Gold Cup. We're looking forward to running him. 

"I think I'll run Found A Fifty in the two-mile Grade 1 novice hurdle. He's in good form and hasn't done much wrong this year. We think he's a good horse and one we're really excited about going novice chasing with next year. 

"Sire Du Berlais and Teahupoo will run in the Liverpool Hurdle. Sire Du Berlais turns up once or twice every year. He's a horse of a lifetime and we're proud of him. Absolute Notions will go for the novice hurdle over three miles, while Zanahiyr will run in the Aintree Hurdle again. He seems to enjoy taking his time these days. 

"Jazzy Matty is in good form and could run in the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle. I could have three or four in the bumper and a few others as well so the team is shaping up nicely.”

Randox Grand National (5.15 Aintree, April 15)

Coral: 6 Corach Rambler, 8 Noble Yeats, 10 Delta Work, 12 Any Second Now, Gaillard Du Mesnil, 14 Mr Incredible, 16 Ain’t That A Shame, Galvin, Le Milos, Longhouse Poet, Vanillier, 20 Our Power, 25 Capodanno, Lifetime Ambition, The Big Breakaway, The Big Dog, The Shunter, 33 bar

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