Grand National 2024 Tips: Antepost Preview And Recommended Bets For Aintree
The most eagerly anticipated race of the year is of course the Grand National and in 2024 a reduced field will take to Aintree for the first time. Just 34 horses will line up, as opposed to the traditional 40, in a bid to increase horse safety following a tumultuous running of the race in 2023 marred by controversy. The weights have now been released and Billy Grimshaw has cast his eye across the potential runners and riders to preview the iconic marathon test for us, while also providing his idea of the best bet at this stage...
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Last season's champion Corach Rambler will be back at Aintree to defend his Grand National crown after a spin in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which a few fancy him each-way, in 2024. The brilliant winner of the 2023 race handed Lucinda Russell her second Grand National triumph and although he has been hiked up in the weights, it would be a brave racing fan to totally rule him out of contention considering Tiger Roll's back to back wins just a few years ago. 11st2 looks fair enough for the reigning champion (he won with 10st5 on his back last year) and it'll certainly be a tall order for any of the horses carrying more than him to give him weight and a beating.
King George hero Hewick is the top weight and could have a mighty job on his hands. He is also set to run in the Gold Cup prior to a spin at Aintree, but a poor run or fall could rule him out of the National which would see all other weights altered. Noble Yeats was the 50/1 winner in 2022 off 1 47and ran well enough to be placed last season a full 19lbs higher in the weights.The handicapper has hardly relented on the Emmet Mullins charge in his quest to regain the National title, handing him a weight of 11st8 to carry in 024. He has proven his Aintree prowess in the past, but this would be a stunning performance if he can win here after a run in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Of the British contingent, Nassalam is burdened with 11st4 which is the most of any home team representative following his destruction of the Welsh Grand National last time out. This is 2lbs more than Corach Rambler will carry and with Gary Moore's charge seemingly needing it soft, he is tough to fancy. Mahler Mission has been given 11st1 and there is no reason to think the former antepost favourite cannot cope with that weight, having looked tailormade for this sort of marathon test.
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Monbeg Genius has been well fancied for this race for months now and looks to be on a perfect racing weight to sneak into the race (he is number 43 and carrying 10 stone 4). Some may think he has a job on to reverse form with Mahler Mission from Newbury, but the extra distance at Aintree looks sure to suit Jonjo O'Neill's charge. As is expected with the Grand National, a feasible case can be made for many toward the top of the market and even for some of the outsiders. However, one horse sticks out like a sore thumb to me and I think there is more than a good case to back him now and anticipate some heavy market support seeing him go off half the price on the day.
There will be some rolling their eyes at this point as I tip up the favourite for the Grand National VANILLIER, but the race has changed beyond all recognition in recent years and is in essence now just another handicap chase. Once one sees the race like this, Gavin Cromwell's horse is impossible to ignore with 12/1 still available with our friends at CopyBet. He has a nine pound swing in the weights with last season's victor Corach Rambler and although his form this season has been distinctly average, it is clear Cromwell has only had one race in mind all year.
The trainer said before the weights came out he hoped his star wouldn't have much more than 11 stone to carry, so he must be thrilled with just 10st8 and if he is ridden a smidgen more prominently in 2024 it is going to take a fine performance to get their head in front of this former Albert Bartlett winner. Galvin is to be respected and has a much easier chance from he handicapper this season than he did last, when he fell at the first and thus we did not see how he took to Aintree. Gordon Elliott seems sweet on his chances and he was one I was tempted to back now as he may go off an awful lot shorter if Jack Kennedy chooses to ride him.
Finally, I was also taken by Panda Boy's run over hurdles at the Dublin Racing Festival and would class his skipping of Cheltenham as a positive for his chances here. He will be in my staking plan on the day if he gets in, but that is far from assured at this stage with a weight of just 10st2 seeing him 53rd on the list. The picture will become clearer as we know the definitive runners, the ground conditions and the form coming into Aintree, but barring injury there is no chance Vanillier goes off double digits and as such a win-only bet on him at 12/1 right now is my recommended play.