Posted by This year’s Grand National at Aintree is set to include a strong field, with some of those involved being Grade One winners.
Here is a look at the leading contenders to win the 40-runner contest in Liverpool, England, this year.
Corach Rambler
In what will be his debut in the race, Corach Rambler is considered the safest pick for those looking to bet on Grand National 2023, currently priced at +550. He has been at the top of the betting for the Aintree feature ever since he won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
As you can see from the Grand National results from previous years, Lucinda Russell won the race in 2017 with One For Arthur. Like her previous winner, her latest star chaser should relish the testing marathon distance in the Grand National. He is now rated as high as 156, and with a weight allocation of just 10st 5lb, he will be receiving weight from the majority of his rivals in the contest.
Noble Yeats
As the defending champion, a lot will be expected of Noble Yeats when he makes his return to the Grand National Course. This time around, he will have 15lb more on his back. He will also be without his winning jockey from 2022, as Sam Waley-Cohen has now retired from the sport.
The Irish horse’s connections will be encouraged by what their horse has shown this season. Not only has he prevailed at Aintree and Wexford, with the former coming in the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase, but he also came home fourth place in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. Those performances indicate he heads to Liverpool in great form.
Delta Work
Last year’s third-placed horse from the Grand National, Delta Work, will return to Aintree for the renewal in 2023. He was victorious in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his latest assignment. It was the second straight year that Gordon Elliott’s runner had won that race.
As a three-time winner of the Grand National, Elliott is the most successful active trainer in the race. His horse has 5lb less on his back this time, which will make things easier for him. If he jumps as well as he did 12 months ago, he will be in with a great chance of prevailing.
Gaillard Du Mesnil
One of the youngest horses in the Grand National in 2023 is Gaillard Du Mesnil. He is trained by Irish Champion Trainer Willie Mullins, and the horse showed him stamina in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Chase at Cheltenham, scoring over 3m6f.
The French-bred horse has a smart future ahead of him and he could be a lot better than his mark of 155 suggests, especially over a distance of 4m2½f, as he could improve further for the extra trip.
This year’s Grand National is expected to be sold out, while millions are set to tune in around the world to see who will be the winning of the 175th edition of the event.
