A total of 85 entries are revealed today for the 175^th running of the Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday 15^th April. Staged over four miles, two furlongs and 74 yards, the world’s greatest chase is also the most valuable Jump race run anywhere in the world with a total prize fund of £1 million.

 

Of the 85 entries, 54 are trained in Ireland including the latest two Randox Grand National heroes in Minella Times (2021) and Noble Yeats (2022). Another Irish-trained entry is Hewick, who already has a “National” victory to his name having taken the American version at Far Hills, New Jersey, in October.

An outing in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup beckons first for Hewick, as his trainer John “Shark” Hanlon outlined at a media event yesterday organised by The Jockey Club at his County Carlow yard.

Hanlon said: “The key thing for Hewick is good ground. If we ended up in Cheltenham and the ground ended up getting soft, I’d definitely have to think about it because Aintree is only down the road. But we’ll see. I never saw the ground soft at Cheltenham on a Friday, the last fifteen years I’d say we had good ground, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

“He’ll stay and he’ll jump. And for a Gold Cup or a National, you want both of them. He has a bit of toe and he stays. If I finished in the first four in a Gold Cup I’d be delighted.

“To go to America that time with him was amazing. To go to the Eclipse Awards and win Steeplechase Horse of The Year in America, we were so happy. The story is brilliant. He only came from five minutes down the road and at £800, he was some value.

“He’s just probably an improving horse that needed a lot of time and we gave him that.”

Battleship is the only horse in history to win both the American and Aintree Grand Nationals. Successful in the American version in 1934, he won at Aintree four years later (1938) under 17 year old jockey Bruce Hobbs.

Shark Hanlon with Hewick yesterday

Hanlon has also made an entry for Cape Gentleman. Successful in Graded company over both hurdles and fences for his previous trainer Emmet Mullins, the seven year old is owned by Pierre Manigault, whose great-grandfather, Stephen Sanford owned the 1923 Aintree hero, Sergeant Murphy.

Weights will be revealed for the Randox Grand National at the historic St George’s Hall in Liverpool on Tuesday 21^st February.

The Randox Grand National is the only race of the year where the British Horseracing Authority’s senior Jump handicapper, Martin Greenwood, is able to deviate from official ratings when he frames the handicap.

 

5:15pm Randox Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 4m 2f 74y

• Ain't That A Shame (IRE) 9 Robcour Henry de Bromhead Ireland
• Any Second Now (IRE) 11 Mr John P. McManus T. M. Walsh Ireland
• Ashtown Lad (IRE) 9 Darren & Annaley Yates Dan Skelton
• Ash Tree Meadow (FR) 7 Alymer Stud Ltd Gordon Elliott Ireland
• A Wave of The Sea (IRE) 7 Mr John P. McManus Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland
• Back On The Lash 9 Maughan, Redknapp, Ryan, Salters Martin Keighley
• Battleoverdoyen (IRE) 10 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Born By The Sea (IRE) 9 Natalie Gilligan Paul John Gilligan Ireland
• Burrows Saint (FR) 10 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Cape Gentleman (IRE) 7 Mr Pierre Manigault John Joseph Hanlon Ireland
• Capodanno (FR) 7 Mr John P. McManus W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Captain Cattistock 10 Mr Nic Brereton Fergal O'Brien
• Captain Kangaroo (IRE) 8 Kanga Racing & Brett Graham Syndicate W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Carefully Selected (IRE) 11 Miss M. A. Masterson W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Chemical Energy (IRE) 7 Caldwell Construction Ltd Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Chris's Dream (IRE) 11 Robcour Henry de Bromhead Ireland
• Cilaos Emery (FR) 11 The Has Been's Sophie Leech
• Cloudy Glen (IRE) 10 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Venetia Williams
• Coko Beach (FR) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Conflated (IRE) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Corach Rambler (IRE) 9 The Ramblers Lucinda Russell
• Darasso (FR) 10 Mr John P. McManus Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland
• Darrens Hope (IRE) 9 Robert Murphy Robert Murphy Ireland
• Death Duty (IRE) 12 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Defi Bleu (FR) 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Delta Work (FR) 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Diol Ker (FR) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade Ireland
• Dunboyne (IRE) 8 S. P. O'Connor Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Enjoy d'Allen (FR) 9 Mr John P. McManus Ciaran Murphy Ireland
• Envoi Allen (FR) 9 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead Ireland
• Escaria Ten (FR) 9 McNeill Family Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Eva's Oskar (IRE) 9 Sally & Richard Prince Tim Vaughan
• Fakiera (FR) 8 Mr T. O'Driscoll Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Fantastikas (FR) 8 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Nigel Twiston-Davies
• Farclas (FR) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Fiddlerontheroof (IRE) 9 Taylor, Burley & O'Dwyer Joe Tizzard
• Fortescue 9 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly
• Francky du Berlais (FR) 10 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen
• Franco de Port (FR) 8 Bruton Street V W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Frontal Assault (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Fury Road (IRE) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Gabbys Cross (IRE) 8 Mr R. S. Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead Ireland
• Gaillard du Mesnil (FR) 7 Mrs J. Donnelly W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Ga Law (FR) 7 The Footie Partnership Jamie Snowden
• Galvin (IRE) 9 Mr R. A. Bartlett Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Gevrey (FR) 7 Denis Gallagher Racing Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Gin On Lime (FR) 7 Robcour Henry de Bromhead Ireland
• Glamorgan Duke (IRE) 10 Natalie Gilligan Paul John Gilligan Ireland
• Grumpy Charley 8 Mr G. Thompson Chris Honour
• Happygolucky (IRE) 9 Lady Dulverton Kim Bailey
• Hewick (IRE) 8 Mr T. J. Mcdonald John Joseph Hanlon Ireland
• Hill Sixteen 10 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson
• Iwilldoit 10 Diamond Racing Ltd Sam Thomas
• Le Milos 8 The Jolly Good Partnership Dan Skelton
• Lifetime Ambition (IRE) 8 Linda Mulcahy/Mary Wolridge Mrs J. Harrington Ireland
• Longhouse Poet (IRE) 9 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil Ireland
• Lord Lariat (IRE) 8 P.Blake/Patrick John Casey Dermot Anthony McLoughlin Ireland
• Milan Native (IRE) 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Minella Crooner (IRE) 7 Mr David Barnard Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Minella Times (IRE) 10 Mr John P. McManus Henry de Bromhead Ireland
• Minella Trump (IRE) 9 Mr T. G. Leslie Donald McCain
• Mister Coffey (FR) 8 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson
• Mortal (IRE) 11 Mr A. Dunlop Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Mr Incredible (IRE) 7 Mr P. Byrne W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Nearly Perfect 9 Peter Beadles Neil King
• Noble Yeats (IRE) 8 Mr Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins Ireland
• Our Power (IRE) 8 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas
• Pencilfulloflead (IRE) 9 Robcour Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Punitive (IRE) 9 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Quick Wave (FR) 10 Ms Sharon Kinsella Venetia Williams
• Rapper 9 The Home Farm Partnership Henry Daly
• Recite A Prayer (IRE) 8 The Turner Family W. P. Mullins Ireland
• Remastered 10 Brocade Racing David Pipe
• Riders Onthe Storm (IRE) 10 Carl Hinchy and Mark Scott Richard Hobson
• Roi Mage (FR) 11 Pryde/Van Der Hoeven/McGladery/Beaumont Patrick Griffin Ireland
• Royale Pagaille (FR) 9 Mrs S. Ricci Venetia Williams
• Sam Brown 11 Mr T. C. Frost Anthony Honeyball
• Secret Reprieve (IRE) 9 Mr & Mrs William Rucker Evan Williams
• Sporting John (IRE) 8 Mr John P. McManus Philip Hobbs
• The Big Breakaway (IRE) 8 Eric Jones, Geoff Nicholas, John Romans Joe Tizzard
• The Big Dog (IRE) 10 Damien J. Kelly/Colin Kelly Peter Fahey Ireland
• The Shunter (IRE) 10 Mr John P. McManus Emmet Mullins Ireland
• Threeunderthrufive (IRE) 8 McNeill Family Paul Nicholls
• Vanillier (FR) 8 Mrs H. M. Keaveney Gavin Cromwell Ireland
• Velvet Elvis (IRE) 7 Mr D. Kierans T. Gibney Ireland

 

85 entries

54 Irish-trained