Randox Grand National preview: David Ord Aintree shortlist

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Wed April 03, 2024 · 8M ago

David Ord with the three horses on his shortlist for the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

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1. Meetingofthewaters (Current top price 16/1)

Here’s a potential shortener in the betting market. He could easily emerge as Willie Mullins’ number one contender in the eyes of the punters and sit second behind Corach Rambler in the bookmakers’ lists.

He has a lot going for him. He’s only had six starts for the Closutton maestro and is improvjng with each of them, winning the ultra-competitive Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown in December and then tanking trough the Ultima at Cheltenham before finishing third behind Chianti Classico.

He shaped there like a well-handicapped horse, there’s already plenty of people, his trainer included, who feel he’ll be the choice of JP McManus’ retained rider Mark Walsh, and there remains the prospect of further progress.

He’s only seven but as Bob Dylan growled the times they are a changing. A six-year-old novice chaser won Monday’s Irish Grand National and Noble Yeats was seven – and at the same stage of his career over fences – when winning the Nash itself back in 2022. He didn’t run quite as well in the Ultima either.

2. Panda Boy (Current top price 14/1)

Not 'Peru Man' as I called him on a January podcast. He doesn’t exist – but this eight-year-old does and was on the shortlist for the National after a good run in the 2023 Fairyhouse version, travelling well for the bulk of the race off the back of an interrupted preparation before finishing fifth behind I Am Maximus.

This season he took in a couple of graded chases before dipping his toes back into the handicap waters when chasing home Meetingofthewaters at Christmas. In first-time cheekpieces he produced a career-best effort, staying on all the way to the line to get within four-and-a-half lengths of the winner.

It was a case of job done for the shrewd Martin Brassil who opted for a handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival where he ran a screamer behind Maxxum, again closing at the finish in fourth.

He’s 11 pounds better off with his Festive conqueror at Aintree and has to be a player if taking to the fences.

3. Galia Des Liteaux (Current top price 50/1)

We few, we happy few. No don’t dust down the copy of Henry V gathering dust on your bookshelves – we’re talking about the British home defence in the National.

In numerical terms it’s likely to number six. It does contain the favourite and last year’s winner Corach Rambler, mind, and a lively outsider in Galia Des Liteaux.

Dan Skelton is going toe-to-toe with his mentor Paul Nicholls in the trainers’ title race and were this eight-year-old to become the 14th mare to win the great race – and the first since 1951 – then big Paul would struggle to get off the canvas.

Clearly it’s a big ask but she’s no forlorn hope. We saw at Cheltenham that her trainer has no peer in the British ranks when it comes to prepping one for a big handicap and Gala Des Liteaux has only contested one in her 12-race career to date.

That was the Classic Chase at Warwick in January where she was ridden with a little more restraint than had become the norm. Upped in trip she stayed every single yard, pulling 12 lengths clear of the remainder before going down by three-quarters-of-a-length to My Silver Lining.

She was conceding 20 pounds to the winner who has gone on to hit the frame in both the Haydock National Trial and Midlands Grand National from five and nine pound higher marks respectively.

Galia Des Liteaux herself is only up four, completely unexposed as a staying handicap chaser and in very good hands. There are far worse 50/1 chances knocking around.

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