Reaction to the weights for the 2025 Randox Grand National at Aintree

APPRECIATE IT (Willie Mullins)

“He’s shown a nice change of form on nice ground in Thurles to win. Aintree ground is usually lovely so he has his chance and plenty of 11-year-olds have won in the recent past.”

BEAUPORT (Nigel Twiston-Davies)

“Great! That’s wonderful. I think we’ve got two nice weights, so I’m very happy. Beauport is very good and he’s running at Haydock Park on Saturday, so he seems in really good form. He’s very different to Earth Summit and Bindaree but he’s a lovely horse, a good stayer and a great stamp of a horse so we should be good."

BRAVEMANSGAME (Paul Nicholls)

“We haven’t had anything suitable for a good few years so it’s nice to have some horses with nice chances.

"He dropped two pounds for Saturday so he’s 11 stone now – that’s a real racing weight for him and as a Grade One winner that’s just the job. We are pleased with that. I’ve had this in mind for him for a while because obviously he’s sort of regressed a little bit from his Grade One level, but he’s still a King George winner. He’s been running well this year without really firing and this might just spark him up. We’re looking forward to it. He’ll go straight to Aintree now. He’s come out of Saturday very well.”

BROADWAY BOY (Nigel Twiston-Davies)

“Broadway Boy is in good form and the National is his intended target. He won’t run at Haydock on Saturday, he will run at Cheltenham in the Ultima. We’ve been incredibly lucky in the past and a third success would be lovely.”

CAPODANNO (Willie Mullins)

“Capodanno was running a good race last year. The handicapper’s given him a chance and he jumps those fences no problem so I’m happy enough.”

CONFLATED (Gordon Elliott)

“Conflated has been a classy horse and he’s tumbling down the weights but his form hasn’t been too bad. I suppose the big question mark is stamina and whether he’ll stay the trip or not. I suppose with any of those horses which haven’t been over four miles before, it’s always a question mark.”

DELTA WORK (Gordon Elliott)

“Delta Work has had a good preparation, he runs off the same mark as last year, I thought he’d maybe be a little bit lower. He showed a fair bit of zest the last day at Cheltenham, so I’m really looking forward to it."

FIL DOR and GALVIN (Gordon Elliott)

“Galvin had a spin the other day and I’m really happy with him. He ran a great race in it last year and came home very strong. If it’s drier ground, he’d have a good chance. Looking at it, we’d probably have five or six in it. You’d have to say Delta and Galvin would be the two main ones but among the unexposed horses, I’d say Fil Dor. I think he’s really coming back to himself, he’s run really well in his last couple of races."

GRANGECLARE WEST (Willie Mullins)

“I was very pleased with his run (when second in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup) and if he can put in a performance like that … however, he paid the penalty by being raised in the weights so it’s going to be tougher, but he might take his chance. I’m not sure he’ll run before but I’ll think about that.”

HITMAN (Paul Nicholls)

“That’s about what we expected and I’m looking forward to running him. He’s been running well of late and he’s run well in some really big races, so that’s perfect. He’s in on Saturday [the Betfair Ascot Chase] but we’ll make a decision on that on Thursday. Obviously he only ran on Saturday [when second in the Denman Chase] so I’ll just see what declares and see how he is. But if he runs on Saturday then he’ll go straight to Aintree.”

HORANTZAU D’AIRY (Willie Mullins)

“He has a lovely weight and loves jumping. If he gets in we’d like to take our chance on nicer ground with him.”

I AM MAXIMUS (Willie Mullins)

“It was huge to win it last year for the second time. I felt very spoilt winning a second Grand National. It’s top weight and it’s tough but we had an idea that it would be tough. He’ll probably run in the Bobbyjo and we’ll see how he is. He likes the track. Sometimes when horses go back a second time they don’t like it and we’ve got all that to take into account. Horses go round it once and the second time it can be different, but he had a good experience last year and I’m hoping that it won’t be a problem.”

IDAS BOY (Richard Phillips)

“There’s 12 of them in the syndicate, called the ‘Dozen Dreamers’. The horse was purchased by my great school friend of 55 years, John Rosbotham, who had a share in a horse called Pak Jack, who didn’t get into the Grand National but was second in the Great Sefton and third in the Becher. It was our dream ever since we were in junior school to win the Grand National, so he bought this horse through Tom Malone last September and we syndicated it. They’re called the “Dozen Dreamers” because it’s a dream to have a runner in the race, never mind the winner!

“Hopefully it all goes to plan between now and April. We might have a run at Doncaster over hurdles at the start of March, but the plan is to go for the Grand National. He won the Midlands National at Kilbeggan last summer and he seems to get the trip - he was only beaten a couple of lengths by Gerri Colombe as a novice hurdler. He’s stayed three miles before, so hopefully he’ll get the extra trip and give us a good run round if we get there.

“It’s obviously a dream for the 12 people who have got involved. They’ve enjoyed the experience up until now and let’s hope that the excitement continues up until the day. It’s very difficult to buy a horse to run in the Grand National without spending huge amounts of money on them and the form is very much there for him. He could run well in a National if we can get him there – which is the hard part as anything can happen. With luck on our side, it’s great to know that he definitely gets a run if we do.

“Tom Malone had been looking out for a potential Grand National horse for John, though up until now they had been too expensive. This is a horse that looked as though he’d be affordable due to his age and things like that, so he bought him with the hope of syndicating him and it’s worked out well. He came to us last September and has had a bit of a break as he’d been running through the summer a bit. We’ve been building him up since with the idea of giving him a prep run over hurdles before going to the race.

“It’s a place that I always aspired to be involved at as a child, and the Grand National was always the best 10 minutes or so of the year growing up. A few of my friends have won it as riders and it’s always been an ambition of mine to compete. You always want to win it of course, but to compete in the race is a dream in itself. The Ramblers [owners of the 2023 winner Corach Rambler] showed that syndicates can have their day and it’s great that it’s possible. It would be lovely if we could get him there and run in the race, because it would just show you that it’s not a race that’s just for the top owners. It’s the people’s race and it would be great if the syndicate could have a runner in it.”

INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN (Gavin Cromwell)

"Inothewayurthinkin is on 160 which is the same as his mark in Ireland. I wouldn’t say he is a certain runner at this stage and we will look at other options for him, including the Bowl at Aintree. He will also get an entry in the Irish National as well."

INTENSE RAFFLES (Tom Gibney)

“That’s fair enough. He was 151 over here so why should he be any different over there? I’d be quite happy with that. We’re hoping to get serious now as we get a bit closer. He’ll have another run – all being well he’ll run again, not this weekend but the next weekend at Fairyhouse. It was a great performance [in the Irish Grand National] and if we can get him back to that I’d be very happy. It’s all grand wanting to win it and building up and building up, but going and doing it is a different story.”

IROKO (Josh Guerriero and Oliver Greenall)

“It’s our first runner in the race so to have one so fancied is incredible. It puts a bit more pressure on him getting there, obviously, but we’re going to try and have a run before then at Kempton in the Ladbrokes Trophy on February 22nd and provided all that goes smoothly then it’s straight to Aintree. It’s very exciting, he looks made for the race, he’s got the right profile and we’re looking forward to it. We’re very lucky to have been allowed to train the horse for JP, which is incredible, and we’re just looking forward to it now. Just getting him there is the key.

“This season he’s obviously he’s been a bit unlucky in one run and then we’ve just been trying to keep him sharp over a short distance and get him some good race experience at a fast pace and try not to expose him too much so we go there with the best chance possible.

“Aintree would be one of our local tracks. It’s only an hour away where we train and we both love it there. I had a winner over the National fences back in 2008 in the amateur race and Oliver’s sort of grown up there with his dad having been chairman so it’s got a special place in both our hearts.”

KANDOO KID (Paul Nicholls)

“He’s a Coral Gold Cup winner and he went round Aintree last year – I’d be very happy with that weight. He might go to Kempton next Saturday [for the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase] – I need to discuss it with the owner. I wouldn’t run him on very, very soft ground. It’s that option or March 1st at Newbury where he likes it, just over two and a half miles just to give him a day out. It’s possible he’ll run but it’s not essential. Straight after the Topham [in 2024 when he finished third] I said to the owner there are two targets next year – the Coral Gold Cup and then the Grand National. So we’ve done one part of it and it would be nice if we could do the other. He’s got a nice profile for it.”

LIMERICK LACE (GAVIN CROMWELL)

“Limerick Lace was running a good race last year before she made a mistake, which effectively ended her chance. She has just been entered for the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham again and there is a chance she could go there and on to Aintree again. I am hoping that she is a spring horse as her two runs this season have not seen her at her best."

MEETINGOFTHEWATERS (Willie Mullins)

“I think Meetingofthewaters has a lovely weight. He ran very well last year and I think my eye was drawn to him when I saw his weight. He’s one I like.”

MINELLA COCOONER (Willie Mullins)

“He jumps well. He won the Whitbread (bet365 Gold Cup) at Sandown last year. It’s going to be a tough assignment to win another big handicap within the calendar year but he’ll take his chance.”

MINELLA INDO (Henry de Bromhead)

"Minella Indo ran really well last year. It was brilliant. He’s come out of Navan ok. He ran well and Rachael [Blackmore, jockey] was happy. He might have got a bit tired in the ground but he ran well. He’s got a great attitude. He’s an amazing horse, he’s been brilliant over the years and he’s a great man. We’re delighted with him. He certainly enjoyed it last year. Rachael was brilliant on him and gave him a great spin. We’ve opted to go this way and hopefully he’ll run well."

MR VANGO (Sara Bradstock)

“I’m just disappointed to win two big handicaps and go up very, very little - but there you go, such is life. I’m just going to have to just pray aren’t I that we get a deluge to suit us and no one else will want to run? That’s my only chance - I need Storm Freddie to come! We’ve won the Devon National by 60 lengths, we’ve won the London National and we’ve won the Peter Marsh and we’re nowhere near. I was sort of hoping when I read the guide to National handicapping that recent form was taken into consideration but they don’t any longer change any handicap marks do they?

“It will break my heart if we get some soft ground and we can’t run because he could win a National on soft ground. That was why I was so keen. It does look like there’s possibly rain this Spring, but we’re not going to get in are we? It would be wonderful because if he got some really soft ground he is a real Grand National type. Stamina is his thing. He jumps beautifully and not too exuberantly. It would be wonderful if the miracle happened but I think it’s looking unlikely.

“He was the last winner Mark had in his name. Mark was very ill by then but he was very cheered by that. He was desperate that we should go on and he felt that we had something else that could carry the flag, so it was lovely. He really enjoyed that last win. He’s very lightly raced so there’s always a chance. I truly believe he’s a real National horse but we’ve got to get there first to win it!”

NICK ROCKETT (Willie Mullins)

“I thought he was very good winning the Thyestes and that’s always a very good pointer towards the National, so hopefully he’ll take up the engagement.”

PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS (Gavin Cromwell)

“Perceval Legallois I would say is a likely runner at this stage and I think we’ll be missing Cheltenham with him. He won the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and then a Listed handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival so is in really good form."

SENIOR CHIEF (Henry de Bromhead)

“Senior Chief ran great at Cheltenham. We were a bit disappointed with him in the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup at Newbury) but he seems in good form again now, so we’ll definitely aim him at the National.

“It’s a race you dream of winning. We were delighted to win it for the McManuses and also for Rachael to become the first female jockey to win it was incredible as well. To be associated with all that was one of those great days. We were obviously delighted for ourselves too. It’s the race that everyone wants to win and we were very fortunate to win it.”

STAY AWAY FAY (Paul Nicholls)

“He’s got to qualify yet. He’d need to have another run so I’m planning on getting another run into him over fences before March 18th. He could even go to Cheltenham. We’ve just got to get him back right because we haven’t had him right yet.”

STUMPTOWN (Gavin Cromwell)

“Both Stumptown and Vanillier could go to the Cross Country at Cheltenham and then we can see about the National, but both horses could go for both races."

THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE (Paul Nicholls)

“He runs on Saturday at Ascot and then we’ll make a plan as to whether we run him here (Aintree) or whether he goes to the Scottish National. I’ve got to decide on that one. But he definitely runs on Saturday and he’s a possible. I know Max [McNeill, owner] would like to run him in it so he’s definitely a possible. We just wouldn’t want the ground too soft.”

TRELAWNE (Kim Bailey)

“The aim at the moment is for Trelawne to go to Cheltenham and he would only go to Aintree if the ground was unsuitable at Cheltenham. He needs ease in the ground. He would have to prove his stamina if he went to the Grand National but that is true for most of them and I think he would be fine.”

VANILLIER (Gavin Cromwell)

“Both Stumptown and Vanillier could go to the Cross Country at Cheltenham and then we can see about the National, but both horses could go for both races."

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.