Check out Timeform's report on Saturday's Randox Grand National and Sam Waley-Cohen's fairytale final ride on Noble Yeats.
A year on from Rachael Blackmore's pioneering success aboard Minella Times, crowds returning to the track following a 3-year hiatus witnessed a Grand National that threw up another result edging towards fairytale territory, as the most storied current-times amateur over these fences gained his first National success after 6 other wins in the fringe races over the course, more historic ground broken among modern-day achievements as Noble Yeats became the first winner to land the prize in his first season chasing, the comparatively youthful winner's performance given no little substance by the presence of a couple of older rivals with obvious credentials - the second coming back for more after last year's third, the other taking a tried-and-trusted modern route to Aintree - giving nearest chase from the last, the race not quite the 'Irish benefit' of 2021 but still a 1-2-3 for the raiders who, not unexpectedly given the overall backdrop to the top-end National Hunt scene these days, outnumbered their British counterparts for the first time ever.
Drying weather since a soggy opening day had alleviated fears over a potential National mudbath, indeed watering had taken place overnight, and only a dozen or so were out of it by the time they'd cleared The Chair, with an unusually swift finish the other upshot as the front pair came away from the rest, the fences out of the way by then but having naturally had their say on the way for all one of the 2 subsequent fatalities came from an injury on the flat, the other following Eclair Surf's fall meaning the field was directed around the third fence in the line leading to Becher's on the second circuit.
NOBLE YEATS (IRE) put it all together for the first time in a handicap in the biggest one of them all, trumping fellow winning novice Rule The World (who, incidentally, had been steered home by another member of the Mullins dynasty, David) in 2016 by becoming the first modern-day winner to land the prize in his first season chasing, not to mention the first winning 7-y-o since 1940 on only his eighth start over fences, providing his outgoing amateur with a remarkable seventh win over this course in his swansong, all in a style in contrast to so many of the swashbuckling rides that had carried him to much success in the past after Noble Yeats had found himself behind at the start, creeping into things going with zest (cheekpieces added an edge) before halfway, first moving into the lead with another assured leap 2 out and working his way back to the front by the elbow after Any Second Now had carried himself past by flying the last, seeing off that rival late on and extending his advantage gradually nearing the line under pressure so strong his rider received a futile 9-day ban and minor fine for overuse of the whip, Noble Yeats proving he possesses an abundance of stamina going beyond 25f for the first time.
ANY SECOND NOW (IRE) added his name to the long list of multiple National placed horses in a race that, bar the odd moment, passed with far less ill-luck than he'd suffered en route to his third in 2021, underlining his bottomless stamina as he gradually worked his way into it from a fair way back following a blunder at the eighteenth (already on and off bridle by then) before moving to the front when set alight with a flying leap at the last, briefly looking like he might get away before it became apparent Noble Yeats still hadn't been bottomed, headed by the elbow and held late on but keeping at it all the while as the pair came a long way clear.
DELTA WORK (FR) couldn't emulate the Aintree legend he'd vanquished at Cheltenham by adding a Grand National to his Cross Country success but ran a much bigger race in defeat than the distance beaten would imply, finding himself well back following mistakes at the fourth and first Becher's but somehow managing to pass most who remained from there (still only twelfth 3 out) and even looming up briefly in the straight, that effort - almost certainly rather than any lack of stamina - understandably telling from the last; he retains just about all his ability aged 9 and ought to be sharper if taking his chance again in a year's time.
SANTINI has missed the boat so far as top-calibre success goes but acquitted himself with plenty of credit all the same tackling this sort of test for the first time, long since full of stamina and showing an unusually zestful side alongside until the principals got away from him in the dash for home, admittedly carrying his head rather high under firmer pressure; this season's mini-revival reflects well on his new trainer.
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FIDDLERONTHEROOF (IRE) came up short whilst making his presence felt in yet another prestigious handicap, the extra distance probably beyond him for all he held his own in the second wave late on; tracked pace, awkward first, shaken up between 3 out and 2 out, kept on gradually straight.
LONGHOUSE POET (IRE) proved too exuberant to see out the marathon trip but, much like the winner, had belied his relative lack of chasing experience (only 6 starts over fences under his belt) by taking to the modern-day Grand National test like a natural until then, shaping as well as any for a long way, largely jumping soundly under a bold rail-hugging ride, tanking his way to the front briefly after cutting the corner at the second Canal Turn, after hitting Foinavon, and still bang there entering the straight before he faltered; he'd be very interesting if brought back over in the autumn for the Becher.
FREEWHEELIN DYLAN (IRE) couldn't add to his shock success in the Irish version but was in the firing line for a long way back chasing after 3 months off, vulnerable from his inflated BHA mark as much as anything; handy, led second Valentine's, joined 4 out, weakened from next.
COKO BEACH (FR) shaped as if back in form until running himself out under a typically positive ride, having also failed to get home in last year's Irish National even over a 5f shorter trip; not always fluent but made most until eighteenth, upsides again 4 out, ridden entering straight, weakened.
ESCARIA TEN (FR) came from the same race (Bobbyjo Chase) as Any Second Now but, unlike that old rival, wasn't equipped to cope with the extreme distance, albeit having taken the scenic route that is no advantage at all on this course on drying ground; reminders soon after start, went prominent out wide first, in contention still 3 out, weakened next.
ROMAIN DE SENAM (FR) largely coped with the fences but predictably failed to stay; tracked pace, blundered first Valentine's, lost ground 4 out, dropped away from next.
SAMCRO (IRE) would have made little appeal on paper for a Grand National even in his prime, nothing like so good or robust these days; mid-division, lost ground 4 out, no response.
COMMODORE (FR) one of the last-minute additions to the field, can have a line put through this first experience of Aintree following 4 months off, a slow break meaning he found himself in the opposite part of the field to usual, at his best using his jumping under aggressive tactics.
CLASS CONTI (FR) wasn't the only Willie Mullins-trained runner making up the numbers and was never involved having been hampered at the fourteenth.
BLAKLION couldn't take this season's resurgence up another notch tried tongue tied given another crack at this race 5 years after the first but was very much looked after once clearly out of the picture; held up, bad mistake first Becher's Brook, still plenty to do 4 out, made no impression.
LOSTINTRANSLATION (IRE) is no sluggard but regularly goes to nothing in races at more suitable trips these days in any case; chased leaders out wide, weakened from 3 out.
ECLAIR SURF (FR) seemed to find the third fence catching him unawares, barely lifting a leg and suffering a horror fall, sadly reported to have succumbed the following morning.
MINELLA TIMES (IRE) made it 3 successive non-completions since landing this race in clear-cut style (from a 15 lb lower mark) in 2021, finding himself further back than he had been 12 months earlier when jumping into the back of School Boy Hours and knocked to the floor at first Valentine's.
AGUSTA GOLD (IRE) overcame an awkward leap at the first only to land steeply and fall at the tenth.
RUN WILD FRED (IRE) surprisingly backed into near-favouritism, added a first letter to his consistent form figures over fences, probably short of room on the inner in mid-field when falling at the first Canal Turn.
KILDISART (IRE) looked unlikely to figure when coming to grief retried in cheekpieces second time back; settled mid-field out wide early, lost place when hampered tenth, behind when unseated rider The Chair.
DEATH DUTY (IRE) was going smoothly in mid-field out wide when unseating at the first Canal Turn.
FORTESCUE produced a laboured effort in a well-run Grand National under less testing conditions; settled mid-field briefly early, never going well from third, struggling when unseated rider 4 out.
DOMAINE DE L'ISLE (FR) looked to have taken to the fences under a waiting ride only to blunder and unseat at The Chair.
ENJOY D'ALLEN (FR) was one of a couple of the Irish contingent to unseat at the first, in his case after stumbling on landing.
DINGO DOLLAR (IRE) had just started to drift back when dislodging his rider several strides after a mistake at the second Canal Turn.
DE RASHER COUNTER was towards the rear when given no chance in the slipstream of the just-fallen Run Wild Fred at the first Canal Turn, his yard's other candidate having already gone 5 fences earlier.
BURROWS SAINT (FR) wasn't asked/able to secure a position as prominent as he had in 2021 and saw luck going against him, hampered at the third before barely taking off at The Chair and ejecting Townend.
MOUNT IDA (IRE) was tried in cheekpieces but unseated after a trademark wayward (typically went badly right) leap at the first.
ANIBALE FLY (FR) was brought down at the third.
SCHOOL BOY HOURS (IRE) didn't have a fair crack at this race, either, belting first Valentine's but undone primarily by Minella Times landing on him behind, pulled up sharply.
DEISE ABA (IRE) had a short-lived first experience of these fences and is unlikely to get another crack, hating every second and already tailed off when hampered at the seventh.
POKER PARTY (FR) had little go right in the race, erasing what slim chance he had in the first place; in rear, hampered third, again first Canal Turn, lost touch before halfway.
SNOW LEOPARDESS had her winning run ended with a whimper, never in any sort of rhythm after failing to get to the front away from bad ground; in touch out wide early, lost place from second, behind thirteenth, pulled up circuit out.
MIGHTY THUNDER had undergone a breathing operation but fared no better after 9 weeks off, pulled up for the third outing in succession; soon behind, never travelling well, tailed off early final circuit.
CLOTH CAP (IRE) has seen a promising career derailed by apparent physical problems, belatedly tried tongue tied bidding to set the record straight after his flop in 2021 only to capitulate having tracked the pace until the fifteenth, later said to have bled.
DISCORAMA (FR) suffered an injury on the flat (before the thirteenth), as had been the case with the single fatalities in the last 2 runnings of the race.
TOP VILLE BEN (IRE) failed to complete back over fences; in touch out wide, badly hampered tenth, lost ground Canal Turn, labouring second Valentine's.
GOOD BOY BOBBY (IRE) followed a below-par effort in a well-contested handicap with a worse display in an even tougher one; raced off the pace, hampered fourteenth, struggling nineteenth.
TWO FOR GOLD (IRE) didn't get home hiked in trip 7 weeks on from giving Fakir d'Oudairies plenty to think about in the Ascot Chase; took strong hold, led until third, led again briefly The Chair, led again eighteenth, hit next, headed again second Canal Turn, blundered next, weakened.
BRAHMA BULL (IRE) made no appeal on paper; off pace out wide, lost ground thirteenth, hampered next, lost touch early final circuit.
