'He's a handicapper's nightmare' - Martin Greenwood's verdict on the Grand National weights

Randox Grand National winner Corach Rambler was labelled “a handicapper’s nightmare” on Tuesday by the man who framed the weights for his repeat bid in April.

The horse who gave Lucinda Russell a second Aintree triumph in six years when defying a BHA mark of 146 last year, will race off 159 on April 13 — the same rating as Tiger Roll when he scored his second success in 2019.

Corach Rambler was 10lb well in last season, having landed a second Ultima Chase win at Cheltenham after the weights were published, but beat just one of five rivals off a mark of 159 on his seasonal debut at Kelso in October — his last handicap start. 

BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood expects the Betfair Chase third, who idled on the run-in at Aintree, to run a big race in the National, the only contest in which he is allowed to depart from official ratings when drawing up the handicap.

Corach Rambler is on 11st 2lb and receives 10lb off topweight Hewick. Greenwood said: “He was 146 last year and though he won by two and a quarter lengths that doesn’t tell the full story. He’s an incredible horse, he keeps a lot in the tank, he dosses, he idles.

“He’s a handicapper’s nightmare in some ways because you don’t know what’s in the tank.

“I think he’s going to run a big race. He’s joint-favourite today and ran pretty well on the maths in a small field at Haydock last time. He’s got a lot of things going for him.”

Vanillier (grey): weighted to reverse the form of last year's Grand National defeat to Corach RamblerCredit: Michael Steele

Greenwood ended the modern tradition of compressing the weights as he saw no need to do so to bring extra horses in a handicap headed by the King George VI Chase winner.

“Hewick runs off the rating I want to run him off,” he said. “There was no compression at all this year for the first time in around 20 years. There wasn’t any need, you shouldn’t tinker for the sake of it.

“He is 169 after the King George, which I felt flattered him. He’s a great rags to riches story but they went really hard at Kempton. It’s the one race in the year in the staying chase division that doesn’t really fit in because it’s a different track and he picked up the pieces late.”

Last year’s runner-up Vanillier is rated 4lb higher and will therefore clash with Corach Rambler on 9lb better terms for the rematch. Greenwood said: “He did everything too late last year but part of that was because the winner was idling badly, I don’t think any horse would have beaten him. You’d expect another big run from him.”

Vanillier is among a powerful Irish team, which could fill two-thirds of a field which is reduced to 34 for the first time this year.

“If the top 34 stood their ground, there would be seven UK runners,” Greenwood said. “I reckon the cut-off point for getting in will be a mark of about 144 and of the 61 horses on or above that only 17 are UK-trained.

“There’s every chance the UK team will be in single figures on the day. We avoided that last year with 13.”

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