1pt win Perceval Legallois @12/1, 1pt win Intense Raffles @14/1, 16:00 Saturday, Aintree, Grand National

4m2½f (Grand National) Randox Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (7yo+)

The days of big-priced winners of this race are few and far between with only Noble Yeats winning at odds of greater than 14/1 in the last seven runnings. That is partly down to how the race has changed in recent years with much easier fences and a reduced field. Hence the top of the market feels like the place to focus.

I have really fancied INTENSE RAFFLES for this race for a while for Simon Munir and Isaac Suede. This French import isn’t your typical second-season chaser – the type that has done so well in recent years – as he had plenty of form in France before moving to Tom Gibney’s yard where he has only had six starts, and he won two novice contests last year in Ireland before staying on stoutly to win an Irish Grand National as a six-year-old on heavy ground last April.

I love how Intense Raffles has been campaigned with a singular focus on the Grand National this season, he had two fairly underwhelming runs over hurdles at Navan which in reality you would have to have been concerned by. But Intense Raffles put in a hugely promising performance in the Bobbyjo Chase (won by I Am Maximus last year) which is a great trial for this race to just go down by a length to Nick Rockett when giving him 3lbs. He meets that rival on 14lbs better terms and Intense Raffles gets in off a mark of 151, when he is officially rated 156 making him the best handicapped horse in the race on official ratings. Intense Raffles could easily be more than 10-12lbs well-in and I am convinced he is a 160+ rated horse.

He jumps well, he stays well, he has a nice racing weight and he races prominently. The main negative could be the ground being too quick, but they are planning to put plenty of water on the course so I don’t think it will inconvenience him too much and he is a strong selection.

It’s been much trickier to really nail down my second selection as there are so many with interesting chances, but I’ve gone for the in-form trainer / jockey combination of Gavin Cromwell and Mark Walsh who rides PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS for JP McManus. Perceval Legallois was beginning to look a lot like a cliff horse only two starts ago, he had started as favourite in countless handicap chases, but a combination of bad luck and silly errors has cost him more big prizes in his career.

One of those hard-luck stories that catches the eye was at the Dublin Racing Festival in 2024 wheb he was set to win a three mile handicap chase on good ground before falling at the last. He would have had Heart Wood (second in the Ryanair) and Gold Cup winner Iknowthewayourthinkin behind him off almost level-weights and so on that run alone he could have Grade 1 potential.

Whilst admittedly that may seem a bit of a stretch, he has looked like he is in the form of his life on his last two starts putting in a career best to win the three mile Paddy Power Chase over Christmas when powering home to win by 7 lengths and he also took advantage of a lenient handicap mark over hurdles in February when travelling smoothly to beat a competitive field.

Perceval Legallois is yet to go for this type of extreme staying trip so that is a concern, but with the way he pulled away in the Paddy Power Chase over Christmas and the fact he has really progressed this season, you feel like he has a decent chance of staying the distance on ground he will like. Perceval Legallois will enjoy the ground and I think he could be at least 5-7lbs better than his mark which looks more lenient than is typical from the British Handicapper for an Irish horse here.

It would also be no surprise to see Hewick run a massive race, but a combination of weight and age is enough to put me off, whereas I also think Kandoo Kid could go well as he has been trained for this. Minella Coccooner, Nick Rockett and of course the mercurial I Am Maximus can all go very well for Willie Mullins.

1pt win Perceval Legallois @12/1, 16:00 Saturday, Aintree, Grand National
1pt win Intense Raffles @14/1, 16:00 Saturday, Aintree, Grand National

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