Our form expert has three selections for Randox Grand National day at Aintree on Saturday including two against the field in the big race itself.
The Verdict: Saturday April 5
2pts win Act Of Authority in 1.20 Aintree at 8/1 (General)
1pt win Hyland in 4.00 Aintree at 20/1 (General)
1pt win Senior Chief in 4.00 Aintree at 40/1 (Ladbrokes, Unibet, Coral)
1pt win Doctor Ken in 2.30 Aintree at 15/2 (non-runner)
Taking two against the field in the National
They’ll have watered as much as they can for the 2025 Randox Grand National but there’s still going to be a large dollop of good in the ground description on Saturday and that will be a key factor in cracking the 34-horse puzzle.
I’m not sure it’s in I Am Maximus’s favour and he has a tough task anyway off a mark 8lb higher than last year, while Intense Raffles is another fancied Irish-trained horse who would ideally want conditions a good deal softer.
Stumptown and Vanillier are highly respected for Gavin Cromwell, but I just wonder if they’ll get outpaced at a crucial stage on the drying conditions, while Iroko just looks short enough for all that he’s long been a National project and could have a chunk of improvement up his sleeve.
The two I’ve come down on at the prices are well proven on good ground and both have had the minimum qualifying requirement of six chase runs, so you can’t get more unexposed which I like in the modern National.
First up, SENIOR CHIEF for Henry de Bromhead at 40/1.
This eight-year-old won at Cheltenham at the Showcase Meeting in October, staying on really well in first-time cheekpieces to see off his stablemate The Short Go on good ground under Saturday’s jockey Darragh O’Keeffe.
That was from a mark of 142 and he won well, running through the line over the extended 3m1f like a horse that wants a trip and it was no surprise to see him go off 9/2 for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on the back of that.
He ran well behind Kandoo Kid, beaten 11 lengths in sixth, and crucially he stayed on well to the line again, outpaced half a mile from home but finishing his race off like a horse that could improve over a trip.
That was his sixth chasing start and he hasn’t seen a fence since, a handicap hurdle in heavy ground at Naas in February keeping him ticking along and on track for this assignment.
The cheekpieces were left off at Naas but they are back on here and I’m not concerned at all that Rachael Blackmore prefers Minella Indo. O’Keeffe is a fine jockey and he gets on well with this horse.
De Bromhead reminded us all at Cheltenham that he can get them ready for the big day even amongst a quieter campaign in general and he’s got recent previous in the National after training the first two home in 2021.
One man who hasn't trained a Grand National winner is Nicky Henderson but all the tweaks to the race give him a better chance of doing so and this could be his year with HYLAND.
Again, he loves good ground and again, he’s had just the bare minimum six qualifying runs over fences, and he's one of the horses who could be nippy enough to cope with the relative test of speed in the conditions.
On top of that he brings good Grade 1 novice form to the table on the back of his second to The Jukebox Man in the Kauto Star at Kempton over Christmas where he beat the Cheltenham Festival Plate third Masaccio by 16 lengths.
After that he was second to runaway Ladbrokes Trophy winner Katate Dori back at Kempton in February, but he gave that horse 22lb and hinted he might have a big staying race in him by finishing his race off better than most off what was a searching gallop.
Henderson trained a grey mare by Turgeon, Ma Filleule, to win the Topham over the Aintree fences and this son of the same sire could well be the one to finally get the National monkey off his back.
The Verdict: Back SENIOR CHIEF and HYLAND in the Grand National
Bet with Authority in the opener
The best bet on Grand National day is Olly Murphy’s ACT OF AUTHORITY in the opening William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle over three miles at 8/1.
Murphy is excellent at knowing when the time is right to step his hurdlers up to staying trips as he showed with Long Draw at Cheltenham earlier in the campaign and this horse can improve significantly over three.
A point-to-point winner and full brother to Pertemps Final fourth Feet Of A Dancer, he’s been improving over intermediate distances but he can take another step forward here.
Last time he overtook eight horses between the second last and the line when finishing runner-up to subsequent Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle second Wodhooh in the Martin Pipe, shaping every inch like he wanted further.
That’s cracking form and with Lewis Saunders, who has a great record on him (1-1-3-2), taking 7lb off his back he’s got an excellent chance of defying a career-high mark on ground that looks ideal.
The Verdict: Back ACT OF AUTHORITY in the 1.20 Aintree
Back the good Doctor for Murphy (NON RUNNER)
It could be a good day for Murphy with Strong Leader bidding for more Liverpool Hurdle glory and he’s got a good chance with DOCTOR KEN (NON RUNNER) in the William Hill Handicap Chase at 2.30, as well.
This horse is obviously tough to train as he often needs long breaks between his runs and he hasn’t been seen for over four months after returning from over 600 days off at Kempton in November.
The good news is he looked better than ever behind Es Perfecto in second in a race that has worked out quite well, those around him running well subsequently while fifth home Doddiethegreat won the Pertemps Final.
All the time off could well mean Murphy has a well-handicapped horse on his hands and he’s clearly picked out Aintree to bring him back after he won a novice handicap chase well at this course four starts and two and a half years ago.
He’ll like the ground and stepping back up to this trip and he’s worth backing while we can.
The Verdict: Back DOCTOR KEN in the 2.30 Aintree
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 04/04/25
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