The Randox Grand National hasn’t been much fun for the ‘home’ team in recent years, underlining the size of the task they face.
Since Many Clouds led in what now seems a quite remarkable 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 for English-trained horses in the 2015 edition, the scoreline reads Ireland 7-2 Scotland.
Irish Dominance and British Optimism
Last April Irish yards were responsible for the first three to finish, and it was the first four the year before that. When Corach Rambler provided Kinross-based Lucinda Russell with her second triumph in the famous race from north of the border in 2023, he was closely followed home by six runners from across the Irish Sea.
Despite all of this, there has been a general sense of renewed optimism among the British trainers this term. Paul Nicholls was typically vocal earlier in the year when suggesting momentum was swinging back “towards us”.
Ben Pauling has proudly talked the talk and also walked the walk to some extent with several big-race victories including The Jukebox Man in the King George and Meetmebythesea at Cheltenham more recently.
Nicky Henderson stated – “we have a lot of good horses over here”. He rattled off three Festival winners to finally put 2024’s relatively miserable week in Prestbury Park well behind him.
Leading the ‘Brit Pack’ from flag-fall this campaign has been champion trainer-elect Dan Skelton, who looks to have finally wrestled the mantle from Willie Mullins, largely through weight of numbers and bagging lots of the valuable handicaps along the way.
British trainers also won all the handicap chases at the Cheltenham Festival this time.
Haiti Couleurs: A Key British Contender
If you’re feeling brave and cross off all the Irish horses, focus on the current top-40 (34 will run, with six reserves confirmed at final declaration stage next Wednesday), then you’re left with 11 from England plus arguably one of the most fascinating non-Irish runners in the field, Haiti Couleurs for Pembrokeshire trainer Rebecca Curtis.
One of five British candidates priced at 20/1 or shorter in the antepost lists, Haiti Couleurs has a particularly strong CV and will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, Bobbyjo, Numbersixvalverde and I Am Maximus, who also won the Irish equivalent at Fairyhouse during their careers.
The nine-year-old is something of a ‘National’ specialist, having also won this season’s Coral Welsh Grand National, and his record in handicap chases of any description reads 211111.
He failed to fire when just 6/1 for the Gold Cup but had also been pulled-up in Grade 1 company at Haydock before bouncing back at Chepstow over Christmas, and any further rain in the build-up would no doubt make him a popular pick under champion jockey Sean Bowen.
The Real Whacker, Marble Sands and Beauport are all triple-figure prices.
British Hopes
- British trainers are expressing renewed optimism this term.
- Dan Skelton is leading the ‘Brit Pack’ this campaign.
- Haiti Couleurs is one of the main British hopes, priced at 20/1 or shorter.
What chance the most valuable prize of its type stays on these shores next week?