The Rachael Blackmore factor could see Ain't That A Shame go off as favourite for the 2023 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
Having been a 25-1 chance ante-post before the Tipperary-born rider had confirmed which horse she would partner in the race at the start of the week, the Henry De Bromhead-trained Ain't That A Shame is now around a 8-1 for glory in the world's greatest steeplechase.
Blackmore, of course, became the first female jockey to win the Aintree showpiece aboard De Bromhead's now-retired Minella Times in 2021. And following more success at last month's Cheltenham Festival and over the first two days at Aintree, Blackmore looks again to be the one punters want in the betting.
Lucinda Russell's Corach Rambler, officially 10lb 'well-in' following a second successive victory in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park last month is still among the favourites, but has been eased out to around 9-1. While last year's winner, the Emmet Mullins-trained Noble Yeats; and third home Delta Work – another who won at Cheltenham for a second year in the Cross Country Chase – are the other horses who look set to contest favouritism at 9-1 and 12-1 respectively.
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But it may be that Blackmore's mount Ain't That A Shame – who only won for the first time over fences on his seventh start at Gowran Park last month – who will go off as market leader come 5.15pm tomorrow.
Blackmore thinks the nine-year-old has the right credentials to run a big race. She told her Betfair blog: "Ain't That A Shame has a lovely profile for the race. He was unlucky to be just beaten in the Munster National at Limerick in October, and it wasn't my best day in the saddle when I finished fourth on him in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. But he won nicely at Gowran the last day, and it was no harm that the runner-up came out and won at Fairyhouse there at the weekend.
"You don't really know how a horse will handle the track or the fences until you get out there, but he had a pop over the National fences at the Curragh, and he went well. I'd be confident that he will take to the fences fine. He travels well through his races, which is a big help. You're just hoping that you can get into a nice position and find a nice racing rhythm over the first few fences. I am hopeful that he can. After that, you never know, it's the Grand National, but he has his chance and I'm very much looking forward to it."
Speaking again after riding Inthepocket to victory in the Minella Times colours of owner JP McManus on Ladies Day, Blackmore added: "Everyone who is down at the start is in with a chance, that is the kind of race it is. It is really exciting to be part of it and on such a good horse and I can't wait. I never really felt much pressure in the race in the first place. It is just a race that everyone knows there are so many different things that can happen. You might be on the favourite, but it is not like riding the favourite in the Champion Hurdle. It doesn't carry the same pressure as there are so many different variables in the Grand National.
"You are delighted to be down there and I will give it a crack and see what happens. It is a different atmosphere in the weighing room. Everyone is wishing each other good luck. It definitely has a different feeling to any other race that I've ridden in. He has a really good profile for the race and he is a very exciting horse to ride in it. He did (run in the same race that Minella Times ran in before winning the Grand National at Leopardstown) and I maybe didn't give him the best ride in that race and he finished fourth. There is definitely more to come from him."
Elliott believes one of the other chief market leaders Delta Work has a great chance of giving him a joint-record fourth victory in the Grand National.
Elliott won the National as a 29-year-old with Silver Birch in 2007 and also scored with dual winner Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019. And on bidding to join George Dockeray, Fred Rimell and Red Rum's trainer Ginger McCain as a four-time winner, he said: "The Grand National has been a special race to me and I have won it three times. Obviously, I would love to win it again. Hopefully, I have at least another 20 or 30 years of my training career left, so hopefully it will happen at some stage. I rode around Aintree a few times and broke my arm the last time I rode there on a horse called Sheltering for Edward O'Grady (in the 2003 Fox Hunters' Chase). I didn't have much luck there as a rider, but I was just an ordinary amateur and enjoyed it. I like training a lot more."
On Delta Work's chances of victory, Elliott added of the 10-year-old: "If I had to pick a horse to ride this year, it would be Delta Work. He got a little bit far back early last year, but ran a very good race. He was a bit careful, but he is in great form now and we couldn't be happier with him."
Elliott also saddles Galvin, who was runner-up to Delta Work at Cheltenham last month, and will be ridden by Davy Russell, who partnered Tiger Roll to his two National wins. Russell came out of retirement to stand in for the injured Jack Kennedy last month and he could have a fairytale ending as he is set to stop riding again after the meeting. Elliott, who also runs Dunboyne (Jack Tudor), Fury Road (Jonjo O'Neill Jnr), Coko Beach (Harry Cobden) and Escaria Ten (Adrian Heskin), said: "With Galvin, the drier the ground, the better chance he has. He will have come on a lot from Cheltenham and is in good form. We are very, very happy with him."
Noble Yeats won the National last year when partnered by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, who himself ended his riding career with the perfect victory. Sean Bowen is now Noble Yeats' partner and he rode him to win the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December before finishing third and fourth in the Cotswold Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup respectively since.
Trainer Mullins said: "He was last over the first last time. He wasn't in contention for the first two miles, but it all worked out in his favour. There's no rule of thumb for it, it's just getting the horse happy and confident in a bit of space and running into the gaps. It'll probably have to be the brave man's route to get that space. He negotiated it last year and fingers crossed he can do it again. I think he's getting a bit wiser every time and looking after himself a bit more. He's just holding a bit back for himself, but hopefully we can get it out of him. Just a bit of space is ideal for him, it's going to be hard in a National with 40 runners but I suppose I'll just keep telling Sean to go back and look at Sam's ride last year."
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Another Irish raider Vanillier – the ECHO's tip for the big race – will carry just 10st6lb. The eight-year-old is around a 20-1 chance and trainer Gavin Cromwell thinks he ticks a lot of boxes for the Grand National. The Navan handler said: "He has a lovely weight. The ground looks like it is going to be ideal and he's settled in well since he's come over. We're looking forward to it. His run last time behind Kemboy in the Bobbyjo was a great run, especially since were were 'wrong' at the weights, and that was a good prep. He has come out of that well and hopefully come forward a bit since then. Like every National, you need everything to go your way and you need luck on your side, but if he gets that, hopefully he'll be in the mix. I think he'll take to the fences. We schooled him over similar (National) fences at the Curragh and he seemed to like them, so fingers crossed he'll go well."
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Ted Walsh's Any Second Now is set to carry top weight of 11st12lb, having finished third and second in the last two runnings of the Aintree showpiece. The now 11-year-old is around a 14-1 chance with most bookmakers. His Irish trainer Walsh, who won the race with Papillon ridden by his son Ruby in 2000, thinks the McManus-owned gelding's best chance of victory in the National may have gone.
He said: "He's as good as he can be and I think he's as good as he was last year. That probably won't be good enough but anymore than that I can't do. Whatever he has he has, but he is rated 8lb higher than last year and he couldn't win it last year, so it is very hard to see him winning now. But he's in good nick, he goes there with a good chance and I'm glad to have him. There's been no hiccups all season and everything is good, no problems. It is great to be a part of it. I never thought I would ever have a horse that was saddlecloth number one going to the start of the Grand National anyway. Everyone in National Hunt racing dreams about a Gold Cup and a Grand National or Irish National and they are the biggest ones you can get. The dream has already been fulfilled (Walsh won the race with Papillon in 2000), but I don't know if it will be fulfilled again."
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Dan Skelton's Le Milos – who is a 16-1 chance – is one of the few genuine hopes of a first British winner since 2017. He won the Coral Gold Cup, formerly the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November. He was second in the Premier Chase at Kelso last month and Skelton is confident he can run a big race. The Alcester-based handler said: "Le Milos is in really good form. I took him for an away day recently, and he was very good. He's versatile in regards to the ground and I think he'll stay the trip, so he's got a good profile for the race.
"He's a Coral Gold Cup winner and I can assure you that I was probably as fit as he was at Kelso! I was a bit embarrassed about it to be honest, as I knew he'd need the run, but then when you get caught that late, you do kick yourself a little bit. He was obviously a gallop short of winning that day but I know how much he'd done and how much he's done since, so I know that will be well left behind."
On the money coming for Ain't That A Shame spokesperson for the official Grand National betting partners William Hill, Lee Phelps, said today: “The ‘Rachael Factor’ is coming into play for punters in the Grand National with the money absolutely flying in for Ain’t That A Shame this morning. It’s only Friday but the weight of support is pretty staggering. You see gambles like this in the hours before the race, but it’s rare to get them this early on and if the money continues to pour in, Rachael Blackmore’s ride will go off a good deal shorter than he is now. We’ve cut Henry De Bromhead’s gelding from 12-1 into 8-1 and he now sits as joint favourite with Delta Work, while Corach Rambler continues to drift and is out to 10-1.”
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