'He won't even be 5-1 on the day' - David Jennings' Grand National talking points

The release of the weights for the 2025 Randox Grand National has thrown up no shortage of talking points and David Jennings picks out a few things that have caught his eye . . .

I Am Maximus facing 'tough' task in repeat Grand National bid as weights are unveiled

Inothewayurthinkin will be shorter than 5-1 if he shows up

Inothewayurthinkin is number nine on the list, with 11st 5lb after being allocated a mark of 160, but ask yourself this: if the Grand National weren't a handicap, what price would he be? I think he would go off favourite to beat this lot off level weights and I cannot envisage a situation where he ends up a double-figure price on the day. You'd be lucky to get half those odds.

Here you have a horse who's only seven and, according to Racing Post Ratings, has produced the two best performances of his life on his past two starts. He got an RPR of 162 for his fifth in the Savills Chase and 163 for his eyecatching effort in the Irish Gold Cup. Don't forget, he was only beaten just over seven lengths by Galopin Des Champs despite walloping the fourth-last. He's already a Grade 1 winner at Aintree, too.

Inothewayurthinkin: completed Cheltenham-Aintree double

Inothewayurthinkin: a Grade 1 winner at Aintree last seasonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Inothewayurthinkin is a proper Grade 1 staying chaser, who could easily be placed in a Gold Cup if supplemented, so a mark of 160 gives him a massive chance of providing Gavin Cromwell with a first success in the Aintree showpiece. That 10-1 won't last long, folks. Trust me.

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Martin Greenwood has gone without. He obviously believed what he saw from Stumptown over the banks in December. That cheeky success has seen his mark soar from 149 in Ireland to 157 in Britain. Ouch.

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Delta Work has tumbled down the ratings in Ireland. Having been rated 171 once upon a time, he's rated 20lb lower in his home country, but Greenwood doesn't agree with his Irish counterpart and has him 6lb higher, so he's off the same mark as when runner-up at Aintree last year.

Even Coko Beach is 2lb higher than his Irish mark.

Those are likely to be their marks when they line up at Cheltenham, too, so Delta Work and Stumptown will be off the same weight. Interesting.

Grade 1 winners all over the shop

Here's a stat that could surprise you: of the top 23 in the Grand National weights, 17 have already won Grade 1s. The only exceptions are Thyestes winner Nick Rockett, Gentlemansgame, Monty's Star, Stumptown, Beauport and Hitman. That tells you all you need to know about the quality of the fare these days.

The top three on the list have won a dozen Grade 1s between them, although Envoi Allen is responsible for nine of those.

The Bobbyjo will tell us more about Intense Raffles

Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles is not a hurdler, but he has spent the season so far over hurdles preserving his mark for the Grand National.

We'll finally get a proper glimpse of what he's made of on Saturday week when he returns to his beloved Fairyhouse to tackle the Bobbyjo Chase. He's three from three at the track and that race is always a big pointer towards Aintree. I Am Maximus won it last year. Say no more.

I Am Maximus was impressive at Fairyhouse

Will the Bobbyjo Chase throw up another Grand National winner?Credit: Patrick McCann

Tom Gibney's grey gelding has a mark of 151 for the Grand National, the same as his Irish rating, meaning he'll have to defy an 11lb higher mark than the one he won the Easter Monday marathon at Fairyhouse off last spring. That seems fair. He simply must be on any shortlist.

Is Appreciate It overpriced at 66-1?

He's probably too old at the age of 11; he's been a bitter disappointment over the past two seasons; he mightn't stay and he's only going to get 3lb from Inothewayurthinkin who could be unstoppable off 160, but I've always thought the Grand National would be tailormade for Appreciate It.

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I could see him lobbing along for four miles and still being on the bridle in between the final two fences. What happens from there, who knows, but off a mark of 157, I could see him running a corker and 66-1 seems massive.

Don't forget he was almost upsides Fastorslow and Galopin Des Champs at the last in the Punchestown Gold Cup last spring. He's still got it. Sort of.

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