All the leading contenders, including Coral's 7-1 favourite Corach Rambler, remain on course for the 2023 Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 15 after 57 entries were left in at the latest scratchings' stage.
There were 16 horses taken out of the Aintree showpiece with, as expected, John 'Shark' Hanlon's joint top weight Hewick the main one. Dan Skelton's Becher Chase hero Ashtown Lad and last year's Irish Grand National winner Lord Lariat, from the Dermot McLoughlin stable, are two others now out of the race. The former is likely to run in the 2m5f Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Chase on Ladies Day having already shown his liking for the big Aintree obstacles in the Becher in December.
Bet365 Gold Cup, Galway Plate and American Grand National winner Hewick had already been confirmed to be out by his trainer having suffered a heavy fall in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup at the recent Cheltenham Festival. With his defection it leaves last year's runner-up, the Ted Walsh-trained Any Second Now, heading the handicap on 11st12lb with the third horse who was initially handed top weight Conflated also taken out by trainer Gordon Elliott. He will instead run in the Grade One Aintree Bowl Chase, in which he finished second last year, on Grand Opening Day on April 13. Despite taking five horses out, triple Grand National-winning trainer Elliott still has 13 left in – headed by Delta Work, who was third in the Aintree marathon last year, and landed a second successive victory in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham. He is a best-priced 12-1 with Coral, Skybet and bet365 for the Grand National.
Elliott's chief Irish rival Willie Mullins still has six remaining including National Hunt Chase winner Gaillard Du Mesnil, who is a best-priced 14-1 with Paddy Power, Betfair and Unibet.
Lucinda Russell's Corach Rambler is the current 7-1 favourite with Coral ahead of last year's winner Noble Yeats – who is 8-1 with most bookmakers – in the ante-post lists. The nine-year-old was backed into favouritism after he won the Ultima Handicap Chase for a second successive year at the Cheltenham Festival. The Emmet Mullins-trained Noble Yeats was a staying-on fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup as he warmed up for another crack at the Aintree showpiece.
READ MORE: Grand National 2023: dates, tickets and how to watch on TV
Other notable scratchings include Happygolucky, Ga Law, Threeunderthrufive and Elliott duo Death Duty and Farclas – the latter was fifth behind Minella Times in the Grand National two years ago. There are still 39 Irish-trained horses out the 57 that remain in the Grand National with 29 of those already in the top 40 and guaranteed a run.
With the 16 defections, the Tim Vaughan-trained Eva's Oskar is now the 40th horse and is guaranteed a run with a maximum 40 horses set to go to post on April 15. The Sam Thomas-trained Our Power, who is 6lb well-in on the handicap following his win at Kempton last month, is a 33-1 chance with most bookmakers. At 41st on the list he needs one more horse to be withdrawn to be guaranteed a place.
Trainer Vaughan was delighted Eva's Oskar has made the cut. He said: "We definitely want to run – we're eager beavers! What's lovely is we've actually got in. A lad who works for me was counting them down and we were thinking we might be 41st and you're still lingering then until the day. It's quite nice as it feels like we can relax now, enjoy the process and just hope that he takes to the fences well on the day."
Eva's Oskar won at Cheltenham and was finished sixth at Sandown and fourth in the Eider Chase at Newcastle. The grey is a 100-1 shot to claim Grand National glory with William Hill, but Vaughan said: "We've been planning to go there for some time and he seems in good shape. We can make a few fences at home now with the spruce on. We didn't want to do that until we knew where we were at. We thought today would sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of who definitely wanted to run and we're excited to be in there.
"Of course I'm not naive enough to think we're going there as a 10-1 chance, but as outsiders go he ticks a lot of boxes in that he's good enough to win a £70,000 premier handicap at Cheltenham and he's finished fourth in the Eider – we think he can do himself justice. It's obviously a massive step up in class and it's a great race with all the jazz that goes with it, but you've got to be in it to win it and that we are at the moment."
Quick Wave, who won the Betfred Grand National Trial at Haydock Park last month, is one of three entries for Grand National-winning trainer Venetia Williams – Royale Pagaille and Cloudy Glen the others. The 10-year-old Quick Wave is a best-priced 33-1 chance with William Hill.
READ MORE: All systems for Roi Mage's Grand National bid
There are two horses still entered with local links. Merseyside-born, Cheshire-based trainer Donald McCain has Minella Trump – 100-1 with William Hill – engaged. McCain, who landed the world's greatest steeplechase with Ballabriggs in 2011, could bid for more glory with the nine-year-old 50 years on from when his father and four-time Grand National winner Ginger McCain and his Red Rum won the Aintree showpiece for the first time in 1973. There is also a Liverpool-owned horse still entered in Roi Mage for a syndicate which includes former Adelphi Hotel bell boy Jim Beaumont, who also co-owned Sue Smith's 2013 66-1 shock winner Auroras Encore. The Patrick Griffin-trained 11-year-old is a 50-1 chance with most bookmakers.
The next declaration stage is on Monday, April 10, with the final 40 runners declared 48 hours before the big race on Thursday, April 13.
Latest odds from William Hill, official betting partner of the Randox Grand National: 6-1 Corach Rambler, 8-1 Noble Yeats, 11-1 Delta Work, 12-1 Gaillard du Mesnil, 14-1 Mr Incredible, Any Second Now, 16-1 Longhouse Poet, 20-1 Envoi Allen, Galvin, Le Milos, Vanillier, 25-1 Our Power, Coko Beach, Capodanno, The Big Dog, Ain't That A Shame, 33-1 Quick Wave. Roi Mage, Dunboyne, Carefully Selected, Lifetime Ambition, Royale Pagaille, 40-1 The Big Breakaway, Velvet Elvis, 50-1 Darasso. Mister Coffey, Gin On Lime, The Shunter, Fury Road, 66-1 Escaria Ten, Enjoy d'Allen, Diol Ker, Cape Gentleman, Hill Sixteen, Back On The Lash, Gabbys Cross, 100-1 Defi Bleu, Punitive, Fantastikas, Fakiera, Eva's Oskar, Recite A Prayer, Milan Native, Darrens Hope, Cloudy Glen, Mortal, Minella Trump, Captain Kangaroo, Gevrey, Captain Cattistock, Born By The Sea, Battleoverdoyen, Fortescue, Secret Reprieve, Sam Brown, A Wave of The Sea, Francky du Berlais. All quoted. Non-runner, no bet. For latest odds from William Hill visit https://rb.gy/izcpzu
The current 57 Grand National 2023 entries at Aintree
List of entries for the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase (Class 1), (4m2f74y) at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday, April 15 2023 (5.15pm).
No, Name, Age, Weight, Rating, Owner, Trainer
1 Any Second Now (IRE) 11-11-12 167 Mr JP McManus Ted Walsh IRE
2 Noble Yeats (IRE) 8-11-11 166 Mr Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins IRE
3 Galvin (IRE) 9-11-11 166 Mr RA Bartlett Gordon Elliott IRE
4 Royale Pagaille (FR) 9-11-8 163 Mrs S Ricci Venetia Williams
5 Envoi Allen (FR) 9-11-8 163 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead IRE
6 Fury Road (IRE) 9-11-6 161 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
7 The Big Dog (IRE) 10-11-5 160 Damien J Kelly/Colin Kelly Peter Fahey IRE
8 Capodanno (FR) 7-11-5 160 Mr JP McManus Willie Mullins IRE
9 Delta Work (FR) 10-11-4 159 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
10 Sam Brown (GB) 11-11-4 159 Mr TC Frost Anthony Honeyball
11 Lifetime Ambition (IRE) 8-11-3 158 Linda Mulcahy/Mary Wolridge Jessica Harrington IRE
12 Carefully Selected (IRE) 11-11-1 156 Miss MA Masterson Willie Mullins IRE
13 Coko Beach (FR) 8-11-0 155 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
14 Longhouse Poet (IRE) 9-11-0 155 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil IRE
15 Gaillard du Mesnil (FR) 7-11-0 155 Mrs J Donnelly Willie Mullins IRE
16 Darasso (FR) 10-10-13 154 Mr JP McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
17 Le Milos (GB) 8-10-11 152 The Jolly Good Partnership Dan Skelton
18 The Shunter (IRE) 10-10-11 152 Mr JP McManus Emmet Mullins IRE
19 Quick Wave (FR) 10-10-11 152 Ms Sharon Kinsella Venetia Williams
20 Escaria Ten (FR) 9-10-10 151 McNeill Family Gordon Elliott IRE
21 The Big Breakaway (IRE) 8-10-10 151 Eric Jones, Geoff Nicholas, John Romans Joe Tizzard
22 Cape Gentleman (IRE) 7-10-8 149 Mr Pierre Manigault John Hanlon IRE
23 Roi Mage (FR) 11-10-8 149 Pryde/Van Der Hoeven/McGladery/Beaumont Patrick Griffin IRE
24 Diol Ker (FR) 9-10-8 149 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
25 A Wave of The Sea (IRE) 7-10-6 147 Mr JP McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
26 Minella Trump (IRE) 9-10-6 147 Mr TG Leslie Donald McCain
27 Vanillier (FR) 8-10-6 147 Mrs HM Keaveney Gavin Cromwell IRE
28 Velvet Elvis (IRE) 7-10-6 147 Mr D Kierans Tom Gibney IRE
29 Ain't That A Shame (IRE) 9-10-5 146 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
30 Corach Rambler (IRE) 9-10-5 146 The Ramblers Lucinda Russell
31 Enjoy d'Allen (FR) 9-10-5 146 Mr JP McManus Ciaran Murphy IRE
32 Mr Incredible (IRE) 7-10-4 145 Mr P Byrne Willie Mullins IRE
33 Gin On Lime (FR) 7-10-4 145 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
34 Mister Coffey (FR) 8-10-4 145 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson
35 Cloudy Glen (IRE) 10-10-4 145 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Venetia Williams
36 Battleoverdoyen (IRE) 10-10-4 145 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
37 Hill Sixteen (GB) 10-10-2 143 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson
38 Gabbys Cross (IRE) 8-10-2 143 Mr RS Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead IRE
39 Recite A Prayer (IRE) 8-10-1 142 The Turner Family Willie Mullins IRE
40 Eva's Oskar (IRE) 9-10-1 142 Sally & Richard Prince Tim Vaughan
41 Our Power (IRE) 8-10-0 141 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas
42 Dunboyne (IRE) 8-10-0 141 SP O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE
43 Francky du Berlais (FR) 10-10-0 141 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen
44 Fortescue (GB) 9-9-13 140 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly
45 Back On The Lash (GB) 9-9-13 140 Maughan, Redknapp, Ryan, Salters Martin Keighley
46 Defi Bleu (FR) 10-9-12 139 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
47 Gevrey (FR) 7-9-10 137 Denis Gallagher Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
48 Milan Native (IRE) 10-9-10 137 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
49 Punitive (IRE) 9-9-10 137 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
50 Born By The Sea (IRE) 9-9-10 137 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE
51 Fakiera (FR) 8-9-8 135 Mr T O'Driscoll Gordon Elliott IRE
52 Darrens Hope (IRE) 9-9-8 135 Robert Murphy Robert Murphy IRE
53 Mortal (IRE) 11-9-8 135 Mr A Dunlop Gordon Elliott IRE
54 Captain Kangaroo (IRE) 8-9-8 135 Kanga Racing & Brett Graham Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
55 Captain Cattistock (GB) 10-9-5 132 Mr Nic Brereton Fergal O'Brien
56 Secret Reprieve (IRE) 9-9-5 132 Mr & Mrs William Rucker Evan William
57 Fantastikas (FR) 8-9-5 132 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Nigel Twiston-Davies
57 entries (39 Irish-trained)
The following 16 horses have been scratched: Ashtown Lad (IRE), Chris's Dream (IRE), Cilaos Emery (FR), Conflated (IRE), Death Duty (IRE). Farclas (FR), Franco de Port (FR), Ga Law (FR), Glamorgan Duke (IRE), Happygolucky (IRE), Hewick (IRE), Lord Lariat (IRE), Pencilfulloflead (IRE), Rapper, Remastered, Threeunderthrufive (IRE)
