It is more than a decade since a Grand National winner was trained in an English stable, as Lucinda Russell, successful twice since 2017 from her yard in Scotland’s County of Kinross, is the only trainer to break the Irish stranglehold since Oliver Sherwood’s success with Many Clouds in 2015. The home side put up a much-improved performance at last month’s Cheltenham festival, however, and Jagwar (4.00), one of two major contenders from Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s stable 50 miles from the track, could extend the English revival in the biggest race of the season on Saturday.
Jagwar will head to Aintree with all of the attributes you could want to see in a modern-day National winner. He has youth on his side at seven years of age and remains open to improvement with just eight starts over fences on his record to date.
He has also progressed from one race to the next from his first run in a chase just 18 months ago and took his form to a new level when sent beyond three miles for the first time at Cheltenham last month. Jagwar was just half a length behind Johnnywho, another of today’s rivals, after a tricky passage through the Ultima Handicap Chase and looks the more likely of the pair to appreciate the additional mile on Saturday.
Jagwar does, admittedly, tend to make the odd mistake, but that is not the concern that it might have been a few years ago as the fences are now far more forgiving. Iroko, his stable companion, had a very similar profile before last year’s National and ran a fine race in fourth, but he was only 10th in the Ultima last time and there are plenty of runners with better recent form that appeal as each-way shots.
Henry de Bromhead’s Gorgeous Tom, for instance, is an eight-year-old on the up who finished fourth in the valuable and competitive Coral Gold Cup on his first start in a handicap. Stellar Story, making his first start in a handicap, is 21lb better off with the well-fancied Grangeclare West after finishing third in the Bobbyjo Chase, a major National trial, in February.
Quick GuideTownend escapes sanction after Gold Dancer death
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The second day of Aintree’s Grand National meeting yesterday was marred by a fatal injury to Gold Dancer which was sustained as Willie Mullins’ gelding jumped the final fence on the way to victory in the Grade One Mildmay Novice Chase, but did not become apparent until after the line.
Paul Townend, Gold Dancer’s jockey, told a subsequent stewards’ inquiry that his mount “had made a mistake at the last fence after which it had taken a stride or two to gather himself before, in his opinion, running on in a straight line to the winning line”.
Townend added that it was “only rounding the bend towards the pull up area that the gelding’s action changed … after which he immediately dismounted from the gelding”. His explanation was noted by the officials.
James Given, the British Horseracing Authority’s director of equine, safety and welfare, also gave evidence to the track stewards, saying that in his view, Gold Dancer’s action had been “typical of a three-mile chaser in the final stages of a race and supported the evidence of Townend”. Greg Wood
Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
But neither makes as much appeal as the upwardly-mobile Jagwar. Mark Walsh, who is in the final weeks of his time as No 1 jockey to owner JP McManus, was in his saddle at Cheltenham and keeps the ride on Saturday, and could be about to sign off his time in the green-and-gold by taking the greatest prize the sport has to offer.
Aintree 1.20: Hold The Serve was a convincing winner on his handicap debut at Kempton in February and has a big chance to follow up off a 7lb higher mark.
Aintree 1.55: Gordon Elliott is going for a five-timer in this race with Ballyfad but he did not cut much ice in the equivalent race at Cheltenham and Olly Murphy’s Scorpio Rising, who was steered around the festival, is a live alternative at around 7-1. The six-year-old has won his past four starts and made short work of a competitive field at Sandown in March with a performance that suggests he is ready for this step up in class.
Quick GuideGreg Wood's Saturday tips
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Chepstow 12.35 Guts And Glory 1.05 Tenter Le Tout 1.40 Pep Talking 2.15 Authodidacte 2.50 The Boola Boss 3.32 Katie’s Melody 4.40 Thorgath
Aintree 12.45 Salvator Mundi 1.20 Hold The Serve 1.55 Scorpio Rising (nb) 2.30 Leave Of Absence 3.05 Strong Leader 4.00 Jagwar (nap) 5.00 Rices Pool
Newcastle 12.55 It’s Maisy 1.30 Empty Nest 2.07 Toby Two Scoops 2.42 Geryville 3.25 As Fast As Wind 4.32 Port Station 5.10 Midday Rendezvous
Yarmouth 2.02 Potters Prince 2.37 Del Maro 3.12 Harriet Quimby 3.42 Yaa Min 4.25 Generic 5.06 Organise 5.40 Golden Long 6.10 Zoustellar
Southwell 4.45 Galilean Quality 5.15 Tortured Soul 5.45 Sailor Song 6.15 Ambishio 6.45 Shades Of May 7.15 I Can Boogy 7.45 Farandaway 8.15 Piperstown
Aintree 2.30: Supporters of Jagwar and Johnnywho in the National will be looking for a big run from Anthony Honeyball’s Leave Of Absence, who was around 14 lengths behind that pair in fifth in a well-run Ultima Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Aintree 3.05: Home By The Lee, the shock winner of last month’s Stayers’ Hurdle, had a hard race at Cheltenham and Strong Leader, the winner in 2024 and then second 12 months ago, could be the one to take advantage. He was a long way below his best last time out in January but will be a big threat to all if a subsequent wind operation prompts a return to his best form.