It has been over ten years since a Grand National champion has emerged from an English training stable. Lucinda Russell, who has celebrated victories in 2017 and 2021 from her base in Kinross, Scotland, is the only trainer to have disrupted the dominance of Irish trainers since Oliver Sherwood’s triumph with Many Clouds in 2015. The English contenders showcased significant improvement at the recent Cheltenham Festival, and Jagwar (4.00), one of two leading horses from the stable of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, located 50 miles from Aintree, may further bolster the English resurgence in this prestigious race on Saturday.
Jagwar arrives at Aintree equipped with the essential qualities of a contemporary National champion. At the age of seven, he possesses youthful vigor and has room for further development, having participated in just eight chases throughout his career thus far.
His performance has steadily improved since his initial chase just a year and a half ago, culminating in a notable showing at Cheltenham last month when he attempted a distance beyond three miles for the first time. Jagwar finished a mere half a length behind Johnnywho, another contender for the Grand National, after navigating a challenging route through the Ultima Handicap Chase, making him more likely to thrive in the additional mile on Saturday.
While Jagwar occasionally makes errors, this is less of a concern now than it was in previous years, as the fences have become more forgiving. His stablemate, Iroko, had a similar trajectory leading up to last year’s National, where he finished fourth. However, Iroko’s recent performance was less impressive, placing tenth in the Ultima, while several other competitors boast stronger current form as appealing each-way options.
For instance, Gorgeous Tom, an eight-year-old trained by Henry de Bromhead, is on the rise after securing fourth place in the competitive Coral Gold Cup during his initial handicap outing. Meanwhile, Stellar Story, making his handicap debut, is significantly better off by 21 pounds against the well-regarded Grangeclare West after achieving third place in the Bobbyjo Chase, another vital trial for the National, back in February.
The second day of the Grand National meeting at Aintree was unfortunately overshadowed by the tragic injury of Gold Dancer, which occurred as the horse, trained by Willie Mullins, crossed the final fence while leading in the Grade One Mildmay Novice Chase; the injury went unnoticed until after the race concluded.
Jockey Paul Townend recounted during a stewards’ inquiry that Gold Dancer had stumbled at the final fence and took a moment to regain his footing before surging towards the finish line. He noted that it was only as he approached the pull-up area that he sensed a change in the horse’s action, prompting him to dismount. This account was taken into consideration by the officials.
Additionally, James Given, the British Horseracing Authority’s director of equine safety and welfare, provided insights to the track stewards, suggesting that Gold Dancer’s stride was consistent with that of a three-mile chaser nearing the conclusion of a race, aligning with Townend’s observations. However, despite these events, Jagwar remains a strong contender. Mark Walsh, who is nearing the end of his tenure as the primary jockey for owner JP McManus, rode Jagwar at Cheltenham and will continue to do so on Saturday, potentially ending his time in the green-and-gold colors with a monumental victory.
In the Aintree 1.20 race, Hold The Serve demonstrated a strong performance on his handicap debut at Kempton in February and is well-positioned to succeed again off a 7-pound higher rating.
For the Aintree 1.55 race, Gordon Elliott aims for a fifth consecutive win with Ballyfad, although he did not perform notably in the same race at Cheltenham. Olly Murphy’s Scorpio Rising, who was carefully navigated during the festival, presents a viable alternative at approximately 7-1. This six-year-old has triumphed in his last four outings and showed great promise at Sandown in March, indicating he is ready for a step up in competition.
In Chepstow, the schedule features races at 12.35 with Guts And Glory, 1.05 with Tenter Le Tout, 1.40 with Pep Talking, 2.15 with Authodidacte, 2.50 with The Boola Boss, 3.32 with Katie’s Melody, and 4.40 with Thorgath.
Aintree’s schedule includes races at 12.45 with Salvator Mundi, 1.20 with Hold The Serve, 1.55 with Scorpio Rising (notable bet), 2.30 with Leave Of Absence, 3.05 with Strong Leader, 4.00 with Jagwar (top pick), and 5.00 with Rices Pool.
At Newcastle, races will take place at 12.55 with It’s Maisy, 1.30 with Empty Nest, 2.07 with Toby Two Scoops, 2.42 with Geryville, 3.25 with As Fast As Wind, 4.32 with Port Station, and 5.10 with Midday Rendezvous.
Yarmouth features races at 2.02 with Potters Prince, 2.37 with Del Maro, 3.12 with Harriet Quimby, 3.42 with Yaa Min, 4.25 with Generic, 5.06 with Organise, 5.40 with Golden Long, and 6.10 with Zoustellar.
Southwell’s races include 4.45 with Galilean Quality, 5.15 with Tortured Soul, 5.45 with Sailor Song, 6.15 with Ambishio, 6.45 with Shades Of May, 7.15 with I Can Boogy, 7.45 with Farandaway, and 8.15 with Piperstown.
In the Aintree 2.30 race, fans of Jagwar and Johnnywho will be hopeful for a strong performance from Anthony Honeyball’s Leave Of Absence, who finished fifth, about 14 lengths behind them in a well-contested Ultima Chase at Cheltenham last month.
In the Aintree 3.05 race, Home By The Lee, the unexpected victor of the Stayers’ Hurdle last month, faced a challenging race at Cheltenham. Strong Leader, who won in 2024 and secured second place the following year, could capitalize on his experience. Despite not performing at his best in January, he poses a significant threat if a recent wind surgery allows him to return to form.
