David Ord has a horse-by-horse guide to Saturday's Randox Grand National with the prize expected to be heading to Ireland again.
2025 Randox Grand National
When: 4.00pm, Saturday April 5
Where: Aintree Racecourse, Merseyside
First prize: £500,000
Going: Good to Soft
TV: ITV1 & Racing TV
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GRAND NATIONAL HORSE-BY-HORSE GUIDE
I AM MAXIMUS
Very impressive when winning the race last season and his whole campaign this time around has been geared towards the title defence. Little surprise therefore that he didn’t cut any ice in two Grade One assignments but was forced to miss his intended prep in the Bobbyjo Chase which wasn’t ideal. If in the same form as last year he's a big player under his big weight.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
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ROYALE PAGAILLE
Started the season with a bang, winning the Betfair Chase, but it’s been a tale of gradual regression ever since. You don’t tend to win a National arriving with that sort of profile.
Chance: 🏆
NICK ROCKETT
In contrast he’s on the up and arrives here having won the Thyestes and Bobbyjo on his last two runs. The latter wasn’t a proper test of stamina this year and most observers expect Intense Raffles to reverse form on Saturday. But the Rockett is firing right now.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
GRANGECLARE WEST
Excelled himself when splitting Galopin Des Champs and Fact to File in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and completed his Aintree prep by finishing last of five behind Senecia dropped in trip at Naas. He looked a big player for the National at Leopardstown. I suppose it’s how quick you are to forgive the last, laboured, run.
Chance: 🏆🏆
HEWICK
Remarkable horse and a remarkable story. He only cost £800, you know. Oh you did know that? Shark Hanlon has the training licence back, the 10-year-old had a confidence-boosting win at Thurles over hurdles and if he takes to it, well you never know.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
MINELLA INDO
Produced a mighty effort to finish third behind I Am Maximus last season and is a pound lower this time around. Punchestown return suggested he can still operate at that sort of level, so you don’t want to be reaching for the red marker pen just yet for all he is now 12 and in the veteran stage.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
APPRECIATE IT
Trained by Willie Mullins so that’s a plus. Ended a long losing streak in a Grade Two at Thurles last time, another one. But he’s hard to predict and not certain to stay so there are negatives to balance out the positives.
Chance: 🏆🏆
MINELLA COCOONER
A lot of good judges can’t believe he’s still 25/1 and you can see the case for him. Just look at his upward trajectory in the spring of last year, finishing third in the Irish National and winning the bet365 Gold Cup. This sort of race on the forecast ground is ideal for him, he’s never fallen and is trained by a genius. His whole campaign has clearly been centred around Saturday too. We’re not in GSI [Get Stuck In] territory, but shortlist him.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
CONFLATED
Hasn’t won since December 2022 and little sign of the drought ending despite being dropped in grade and the handicap of late. There are stronger hopes for Ireland.
Chance: 🏆
STUMPTOWN
And here’s one of them. The best cross-country chaser around right now having won his last four including the Glenfarclas at Cheltenham. It’s hard to find many negatives around him.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
HITMAN
The dreaded Timeform squiggle is one for this fellow as is the fact he doesn’t tend to win races and has rarely threatened to get this sort of trip. Sir Alex Ferguson is among his ownership group though so there’s always that if you need to cling to something.
Chance: 🏆
BEAUPORT
Spectacular winner of an Ascot handicap on his return and has been campaigned over hurdles the last twice with Aintree in mind. If you draw him in the sweepstake on Saturday you could get a good run, especially as his jumping looks to be much improved this season.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
BRAVEMANSGAME
The National is just that – and courage might not be the 10-year-old’s greatest asset for all his class, good cruising speed and slick jumping would suggest he could take to the place.
Chance: 🏆
CHANTRY HOUSE
Another with the Timeform squiggle and, as that symbol would suggest, he’s very hard to predict. Good at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and not good back there on Trials afternoon, is his career in a nutshell.
Chance: 🏆
THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE
Ran a cracker at Ascot last time, has National form having finished fourth in the Scottish version in 2022 and trained by Paul Nicholls. In the top five of the British team.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS
My idea of the winner after his success in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. Then picked up a valuable handicap hurdle at the DRF and I knew I had my man. We just need luck, a clear round and... well, him to prove to be the best horse in the race on the day.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
KANDOO KID
Coral Gold Cup winner for the Nicholls team and seemingly their number one for the Nash, but I was left a little flat by his prep run in the Greatwood Gold Cup. That’s the nagging doubt as he had a spin over these fences when third in the Topham last season and promises to stay this sort of trip.
Chance: 🏆🏆
IROKO
Looks the pick of the British, primarily because we haven’t seen the best of him yet and Saturday’s set-up promises to bring it out of him. He had a good prep when chasing home Grey Dawning at Kelso and is an exciting young staying chaser who could be sitting the National test at just the right time in his development.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
INTENSE RAFFLES
Irish National winner for the 'Double Green' team and after a couple of spins over hurdles, showed he’s a big player on Saturday when chasing home Nick Rockett in the Bobbyjo. That was an insufficient test of stamina for the grey. The Nash won’t be, but will the ground be testing enough for him?
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
SENIOR CHIEF
Won on his return at Cheltenham in October and the spring campaign has seemingly revolved around this race ever since. Not sure he’s handicapped to win it for all he’s in good hands and the fact he underperformed in last season’s Irish National is another consideration.
Chance: 🏆🏆
IDAS BOY
Has a National win on his CV – the Midlands version at Kilbeggan in July. Has joined Richard Phillips from Noel Meade since and the one run for the new team, a well beaten sixth over hurdles at Doncaster, hardly had you sprinting to the bookies to top up for Aintree.
Chance: 🏆
FIL DOR
Gordon Elliott feels he has a chance – and he’s trained National winners so you have to respect that - but he has very little experience of big-field contests like this over fences and seems far from certain to stay the distance.
Chance: 🏆🏆
BROADWAY BOY
I thought he’d run well in the Ultima at Cheltenham, but he didn’t, a second successive below-par effort. Not ideal as you head to Aintree.
Chance: 🏆🏆
COKO BEACH
A Nash regular but his form figures in the race read 8, P, 11 and as admirable as he is, it’s hard to think he’s about to win one after the season he's had this time around.
Chance: 🏆
STAY AWAY FAY
Probably safest to stay away from him too given the form he’s in. He looked like developing into a really good staying chaser for the Nicholls team but having finished third in the Cotswold Chase last January, his form figures since are P, P, P, 11 with no signs of an imminent revival.
Chance: 🏆
MEETINGOFTHEWATERS
He was well fancied for the National last year but eventually finished seventh behind I Am Maximus. Took a wide route that day but having looked a big danger to all two out, didn’t seem to get home. He’s been building up slowly in three runs this season and it's interesting connections are ready to have another go but the stamina question definitely needs answering from what we saw last April.
Chance: 🏆🏆
MONBEG GENIUS
Missed the race last season when strongly fancied and looked as good as ever when ending a two-year losing streak at Uttoxeter in February. Fourth in the Welsh National, he should stay on Saturday, but I just wonder if he’ll be able to keep tabs on the major players given the forecast ground.
Chance: 🏆🏆
VANILLIER
Chased home Corach Rambler in 2023 but was never a factor last season, tapped for toe once they’d turned for home. And for all his good run when third behind stablemate Stumptown at Cheltenham means he arrives at the top of his game, I just wonder whether he’ll be left behind when the tempo increases again at the weekend.
Chance: 🏆🏆
HORANTZAU D’AIRY
Would be a fairytale first winner for trainer Michael Keady after a £50,000 swich from Willie Mullins. The dream for the new team is the fact he was placed in both the Kerry and Munster Nationals in the autumn. The obvious worry being that he seemed to go off the boil afterwards.
Chance: 🏆
HYLAND
Did you know Nicky Henderson has never won the National? Oh, you did. Well, he has a chance here given the eight-year-old has been improving this season, chasing home The Jukebox Man in the Kauto Star and finishing second on his handicap debut at Kempton. He never threatened to land a blow on the freewheeling Katate Dori that day but came home well from an impossible position in a strange race and he’s a horse with a lot going for him.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
CELEBRE D’ALLEN
Likes Aintree having won a veterans' race there last season and been placed in both the Becher and Topham in the past too. He's 13 now so we know all about him but at least he looked as good as ever when winning at Bangor in November.
Chance: 🏆🏆
THREE CARD BRAG
He’s interesting given connections and his profile. He made uncharacteristic mistakes when fifth behind Better Days Ahead in a Grade Two last time and was lit up by first-time blinkers when doing too much in front in the Paddy Power Gold Cup over Christmas, but that gave him valuable experience of a big-field handicap chase scenario. He has a touch of class, and you need that in a modern National.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
TWIG
Matt Brocklebank’s Antepost Value Bet selection who has won the first battle, and made it into the final field. Now the easy bit – go and win the race. Click on the link for the case Matt made. Still a big price and a lively outsider.
Chance: 🏆🏆🏆
DUFFLE COAT
You won't need one at Aintree – and would look out of place in one even if it was freezing. No place for the faint-hearted on National day. The horse isn’t faint-hearted to be fair but was brought down in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham which wouldn’t be your dream prep.
Chance: 🏆
RESERVE: SHAKEM UP’ARRY
Owned by Harry Redknapp, you know. Oh, you knew that? He won the Plate at Cheltenham last season but flopped when sent off favourite for the Topham over these fences and out-of-sorts in three runs this term. You probably need to be a Spurs, Portsmouth or Transfer Deadline Day fan to be backing him.
Chance: 🏆
RESERVE: ROI MAGE
Seventh in 2023, ninth in 2024. First in 2025? Doubt it. But he knows his way around here at least.
Chance: 🏆🏆
RESERVE: FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU
Confidence-boosting win in a three-runner affair at Down Royal last time, and creditable efforts in good handicaps before that this season. However, he took a tired, late fall in the Irish National last term and hard to make a compelling case for him.
Chance: 🏆🏆
RESERVE: FANTASTIC LADY
Plenty of experience over these fences including finishing second in the 2023 Topham and sixth in the race last year. But I can’t find much else to enthuse over regarding her Nash chance.
Chance: 🏆
VERDICT
It’s hard to knock any of those towards the top of the market. Stumptown and Iroko must be huge players but the one I’m going with is PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS who is upwardly mobile, proven in big handicaps and in very good hands.
He ticks a lot of boxes for a modern Randox Grand National as does Minella Cocooner who could easily be the pick of the Mullins team on Saturday given the likely going.
Nicky Henderson has his best chance for some time with Hyland, while Three Card Brag could go well for Gordon Elliott.
PREDICTION
1st PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS
2nd Minella Cocooner
3rd Iroko
4th Stumptown
5th Three Card Brag
6th Hyland
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