Grand National Tips: Check out Ed Quigley's 1-2-3-4 for the Aintree showpiece

Our top columnist Ed Quigley picks out his 1-2-3-4 for the 2022 Randox Grand National, which takes place at Aintree on April 9...

Well, The Grand National is here again, and the anticipation is building beautifully. For a while now, my strongest ante-post fancy is the Colin Tizzard-trained FIDDLERONTHEROOF, who may be younger than your archetypal individual for this assignment at the age of eight, but is far from wet behind the ears. He is battle hardened, with a touch of class and is still relatively unexposed.

My view of his most recent run at Ascot was that an out-and-out test would really suit him, and when runner up in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury at the back end of last year I think that also pointed to a marathon trip being his ideal scenario now. He is a sound jumper, the ground should be perfect, and providing the usual luck in running he has to be in the mix. Considering he likes to race prominently, hopefully he will be on the front-end from the get-go, and hence be out of the backwash and any possible shenanigans which can be to the detriment to those back in the pack. The Colin Tizzard horses have been ticking along nicely and he should give Brendan Powell Jr a lovely spin.

It has been a stop-start career for KILDISART, but I don't think he is a back-number here. He will be Ben Pauling's first runner in the Aintree spectacular, but has some very useful back form, including when bolting up in a Handicap Chase here back in 2019, and when beaten on the line in the 2020 Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival. Versatile in regards to underfoot conditions, and I think he could be overpriced with 10st 11lb on his back and James Bowen in the saddle.

You can make a case for about half of the field, and if the rains arrived, the chances of Delta Work and Snow Leopardess would be enhanced, along with LONGHOUSE POET. Martin Brassil won this in 2006, and this confirmed mudlark is a relentless galloper as we saw when he toughed it out to land the Thyestes; he looks as though he is worth a crack at this assignment and gives every impression that he will stay the trip. Any rain would not be an inconvenience.

Any Second Now, Escaria Ten and Eclair Surf have to be respected, along with old warrior SANTINI. He has been called a few names throughout his career, but is a wonderful jumper, and given that he is now seen as 'thoroughly paceless', I think that will really play to his strengths here. A horse with the back class, who has gone close in a Cheltenham Gold Cup, he is far from a forlorn hope from an each-way point of view.

2022 Grand National 1-2-3-4 Prediction

1. Fiddlerontheroof
2. Longhouse Poet
3. Kildisart
4. Santini