The Big Dog is on course for 2023 Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 15 after 73 entries remained in at the latest scratchings' stage.
2021 winner Minella Times – who was already declared a non-runner after his trainer Henry De Bromhead retired the Aintree hero when the weights were revealed last month, Willie Mullins' Burrows Saint, the Gordon Elliott-trained duo Ash Tree Meadow and Frontal Assault and Sporting John, from the Philip Hobbs' stable, were the five horses taken out of the entries today.
All the leading fancies remain on course with Peter Fahey's The Big Dog – a best-priced 25-1 with most bookmakers –among them following a successful schooling session at Navan racecourse.
Fahey's 10-year-old, who will carry 11st5lb, has had Aintree as his main aim since winning both the Munster National and Troytown Handicap Chase earlier this season. The Big Dog was also third in the Welsh National at Chepstow over Christmas, despite carrying top weight. But despite falling when pitched into Grade One company in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival, Fahey is happy with his charge. He is over that fall and following the schooling session under Keith Donoghue on Sunday Fahey said it's "all systems go" for The Big Dog and his shot at Grand National glory.
He said: "He's good and has actually just had a racecourse school – he went two miles over fences at Navan on Sunday and he jumped very well. Keith Donoghue rode him and he was thrilled with him. He will ride him at Aintree for us. It is all systems go for the National now with him. I'm delighted with how he is, he came out of his last race really well and he put in a very good schooling session yesterday."
Last year's winner, the Emmet Mullins-trained Noble Yeats, heads the betting at a best-priced 12-1 with Unibet. The eight-year-old, though, will first have a crack at next Friday's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival before he returns to Aintree.
Of those who finished behind Noble Yeats last year Ted Walsh's Any Second Now – who was third and runner-up for the past two runnings – is a best-priced 20-1 with Coral and Paddy Power. The Gordon Elliott-trained Delta Work, who was third at Aintree, will bid for a second successive victory in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham next week before returning to Aintree. He is a best-priced 20-1 with most firms for the Grand National.
The number of Irish contenders is now 48 out of the 73 left in and 28 of the top 40 horses in the weights are also from the Emerald Isle as they look to continue their recent near stranglehold of the world's greatest steeplechase. Five of the last six winners have been trained in Ireland. A maximum of 40 horses will go to post at 5.15pm on April 15 and the current 40th horse on the list being Ain't That A Shame, another trained in Ireland by 2021 Grand National winner De Bromhead.
READ MORE: Grand National 2023: dates, tickets and how to watch on TV
The current leading British contender in the ante-post betting market is Lucinda Russell's Corach Rambler. The nine-year-old needs one more horse to be guaranteed a run as he is currently 41st on the list. Corach Rambler, who won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last year, is a best-priced 12-1 with most bookmakers vying for favouritism with Noble Yeats. Like Noble Yeats, he will head to Prestbury Park first next week and will run again in the Ultima on Tuesday.
Two of the other leading British-trained runners come from the Dan Skelton stable in Le Milos, who won the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November and was second in last weekend's Premier Chase at Kelso, and Ashtown Lad, who showed his liking for the Grand National fences when winning the Boylesports Becher Chase at Aintree in December. Le Milos is a 25-1 chance with Coral, Paddy Power and Betfair, while Ashtown Lad is a best-priced 40-1 with Coral and Skybet.
Venetia Williams' Quick Wave, who won the Betfred Grand National Trial at Haydock Park last month, is another leading British contender and the 10-year-old is a best-priced 33-1 chance with Paddy Power.
There are two horses still entered with local links. Merseyside-born, Cheshire-based trainer Donald McCain has Minella Trump 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 co-owned Sue Smith's 2013 66-1 shock winner Auroras Encore. The Patrick Griffin-trained 11-year-old is a 150-1 chance with bet365.
The next scratchings' stage is on Tuesday, March 21, with the final 40 runners declared 48 hourse before the big race on Thursday, April 13.
For latest odds from William Hill, official betting partner of the Randox Grand National Festival, please visit https://rb.gy/izcpzu Non-Runner, No Bet.
The current 73 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 Hewick (IRE) 8-11-12 167 Mr TJ Mcdonald John Hanlon IRE
2 Any Second Now (IRE) 11-11-12 167 Mr JP McManus Ted Walsh IRE
3 Conflated (IRE) 9-11-12 167 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
4 Noble Yeats (IRE) 8-11-11 166 Mr Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins IRE
5 Galvin (IRE) 9-11-11 166 Mr RA Bartlett Gordon Elliott IRE
6 Royale Pagaille (FR) 9-11-8 163 Mrs S. Ricci Venetia Williams
7 Envoi Allen (FR) 9-11-8 163 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead IRE
8 Fury Road (IRE) 9-11-6 161 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
9 The Big Dog (IRE) 10-11-5 160 Damien J Kelly/Colin Kelly Peter Fahey IRE
10 Capodanno (FR) 7-11-5 160 Mr JP McManus Willie Mullins IRE
11 Delta Work (FR) 10-11-4 159 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
12 Sam Brown (GB) 11-11-4 159 Mr TC Frost Anthony Honeyball
13 Lifetime Ambition (IRE) 8-11-3 158 Linda Mulcahy/Mary Wolridge Jessica Harrington IRE
14 Franco de Port (FR) 8-11-3 158 Bruton Street V Willie Mullins IRE
15 Carefully Selected (IRE) 11-11-1 156 Miss MA Masterson Willie Mullins IRE
16 Coko Beach (FR) 8-11-0 155 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
17 Chris's Dream (IRE) 11-11-0 155 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
18 Longhouse Poet (IRE) 9-11-0 155 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil IRE
19 Gaillard du Mesnil (FR) 7-11-0 155 Mrs J Donnelly Willie Mullins IRE
20 Darasso (FR) 10-10-13 154 Mr JP McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
21 Pencilfulloflead (IRE) 9-10-12 153 Robcour Gordon Elliott IRE
22 Happygolucky (IRE) 9-10-11 152 Lady Dulverton Kim Bailey
23 Le Milos (GB) 8-10-11 152 The Jolly Good Partnership Dan Skelton
24 The Shunter (IRE) 10-10-11 152 Mr JP McManus Emmet Mullins IRE
25 Quick Wave (FR) 10-10-11 152 Ms Sharon Kinsella Venetia Williams
26 Ga Law (FR) 7-10-11 152 The Footie Partnership Jamie Snowden
27 Escaria Ten (FR) 9-10-10 151 McNeill Family Gordon Elliott IRE
28 The Big Breakaway (IRE) 8-10-10 151 Eric Jones, Geoff Nicholas, John Romans Joe Tizzard
29 Remastered (GB) 10-10-10 151 Brocade Racing David Pipe
30 Farclas (FR) 9-10-10 151 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
31 Threeunderthrufive (IRE) 8-10-9 150 McNeill Family Paul Nicholls
32 Cape Gentleman (IRE) 7-10-8 149 Mr Pierre Manigault John Hanlon IRE
33 Cilaos Emery (FR) 11-10-8 149 The Has Been's Sophie Leech
34 Roi Mage (FR) 11-10-8 149 Pryde/Van Der Hoeven/McGladery/Beaumont Patrick Griffin IRE
35 Diol Ker (FR) 9-10-8 149 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
36 A Wave of The Sea (IRE) 7-10-6 147 Mr JP McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
37 Minella Trump (IRE) 9-10-6 147 Mr TG Leslie Donald McCain
38 Vanillier (FR) 8-10-6 147 Mrs HM Keaveney Gavin Cromwell IRE
39 Velvet Elvis (IRE) 7-10-6 147 Mr D Kierans Tom Gibney IRE
40 Ain't That A Shame (IRE) 9-10-5 146 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
41 Corach Rambler (IRE) 9-10-5 146 The Ramblers Lucinda Russell
42 Lord Lariat (IRE) 8-10-5 146 P Blake/Patrick John Casey Dermot McLoughlin IRE
43 Enjoy d'Allen (FR) 9-10-5 146 Mr JP McManus Ciaran Murphy IRE
44 Mr Incredible (IRE) 7-10-4 145 Mr P Byrne Willie Mullins IRE
45 Cloudy Glen (IRE) 10-10-4 145 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Venetia Williams
46 Gin On Lime (FR) 7-10-4 145 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
47 Mister Coffey (FR) 8-10-4 145 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson
48 Battleoverdoyen (IRE) 10-10-4 145 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
49 Ashtown Lad (IRE) 9-10-3 144 Darren & Annaley Yates Dan Skelton
50 Hill Sixteen (GB) 10-10-2 143 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson
51 Gabbys Cross (IRE) 8-10-2 143 Mr RS Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead IRE
52 Recite A Prayer (IRE) 8-10-1 142 The Turner Family Willie Mullins IRE
53 Rapper (GB) 9-10-1 142 The Home Farm Partnership Henry Daly
54 Eva's Oskar (IRE) 9-10-1 142 Sally & Richard Prince Tim Vaughan
55 Our Power (IRE) 8-10-0 141 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas
56 Death Duty (IRE) 12-10-0 141 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
57 Dunboyne (IRE) 8-10-0 141 SP O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE
58 Francky du Berlais (FR) 10-10-0 141 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen
59 Fortescue (GB) 9-9-13 140 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly
60 Back On The Lash (GB) 9-9-13 140 Maughan, Redknapp, Ryan, Salters Martin Keighley
61 Defi Bleu (FR) 10-9-12 139 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
62 Milan Native (IRE) 10-9-10 137 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
63 Punitive (IRE) 9-9-10 137 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
64 Gevrey (FR) 7-9-10 137 Denis Gallagher Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
65 Born By The Sea (IRE) 9-9-10 137 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE
66 Fakiera (FR) 8-9-8 135 Mr T O'Driscoll Gordon Elliott IRE
67 Mortal (IRE) 11-9-8 135 Mr A Dunlop Gordon Elliott IRE
68 Captain Kangaroo (IRE) 8-9-8 135 Kanga Racing & Brett Graham Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
69 Darrens Hope (IRE) 9-9-8 135 Robert Murphy Robert Murphy IRE
70 Captain Cattistock (GB) 10-9-5 132 Mr Nic Brereton Fergal O'Brien
71 Secret Reprieve (IRE) 9-9-5 132 Mr & Mrs William Rucker Evan Williams
72 Fantastikas (FR) 8-9-5 132 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Nigel Twiston-Davies
73 Glamorgan Duke (IRE) 10-9-1 128 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE
73 entries (48 Irish-trained)
