No fewer than 42 horses to have featured in the Irish point-to-point fields are among an initial entry of 106 horses for the 2021 running of the Randox Health Aintree Grand National.
The latest two renewals of the world’s greatest chase in 2018 and 2019 have been landed by the mighty Tiger Roll and if successful for a third time in 2021, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Tiger Roll would become only the second triple Grand National winner after the great Red Rum (successful in 1973, 1974 and 1977).
Prior to his back-to-back successes, victory had gone to pointing exports with Rule The World prevailing in 2016 and One For Arthur a year later.
Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins are responsible for the largest entries, with Elliott entering eight of his horses including former point-to-pointers Monbeg Notorious, Run Wild Fred and the Grade 1 winners Death Duty and Battleoverdoyen.
Whilst among Mullins’ Aintree six is the star mare Cabaret Queen who has already claimed the Munster and Kerry National through her career, and Bellow Mome who recently finished second behind Mr Mantilla in a Stradbally open lightweight.
In contrast to Elliott and Mullins, Phil Middleton trains just a handful of horses at his base in Buckinghamshire. These include Padraig Higgins’ former Curraheen winner Golan Fortune, a Listed winner over hurdles at Cheltenham in 2019 who has been more than paying his way over fences this season, including when a close fourth in Grade 1 company at Kempton Park.
Middleton said of the nine-year-old: “Golan Fortune is in fine form and the Grand National is definitely the plan if he can get in.
“He is off a mark of 142. We had a horse called Exitas a few years back who narrowly missed out on making the cut for the race.
“So, we will have to wait and see when the weights come out if he gets in, but it is definitely something we are considering strongly.
“Golan Fortune has had a really good season. He won really impressively on his first chase start at Ludlow where he impressed me with his jumping. He produced some great leaps in the closing stages, and we were delighted with that effort.
“He then went to Kempton and ran a really good race to be fourth in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase. He made a mistake at the last and Kielan Woods [jockey] thought that cost him any chance of finishing second or third. But to run like that in Grade 1 company on his second start over fences was a fine effort.
“At Warwick last time, Kielan said he had a lot of horse underneath, but he made a mistake and it just dented his momentum. He was only beaten just over six lengths behind a smart horse in Next Destination.
“He is also entered in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but he wouldn’t run in that and the Grand National.
“I have always thought the Grand National test would suit him. He always schooled well over fences and has shown how he has taken to them this season. I think the trip would also be right up his street, so it would be fantastic to have a horse in the Grand National."
A moment to savour for amateur rider Sam Lee!
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) November 16, 2019
Golan Fortune wins the Spinal Injuries Association Big Buck’s Handicap Hurdle#TheNovemberMeeting pic.twitter.com/PB08X6GfIq
Trainer Tom George went close to Grand National glory in 2015 with Saint Are, also a fine third in 2017 behind One For Arthur. George’s entry this year is Double Shuffle, who went close to Grade 1 glory in 2017 when second to Might Bite in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, having started his career by finished third for Virginia Considine in Inch four-year-old maiden.
The now 11-year-old was successful last time out when defeating fellow Randox Grand National aspirant Ami Desbois in a three-mile handicap chase at Kempton Park on 9 January. Double Shuffle ran as a seven-year-old in the 2017 Randox Grand National, when he was pulled up behind One For Arthur.
Gloucestershire-based George commented: “Double Shuffle has come down a lot in the weights since his previous run in the Grand National and he is now off 145 but he should get into the National.
“The plan is to now go back to Kempton later this month for what was the Racing Post Chase [the G3 Close Brothers Handicap Chase on 27 February]. He worked really well on Tuesday morning.
“He seems to have bounced back to form and he was very good at Kempton last time, but part of that is down to him having come down in the weights to make him competitive again.”
%uD83E%uDD29 He loves the game!
— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) January 9, 2021
It's been a long time between drinks, but the 11-year-old Double Shuffle shows a gutsy performance and goes on to win the @Ladbrokes Committed To Safer Gambling Handicap Chase for @james_bowen_ and @TomGeorgeRacing pic.twitter.com/wj4LNMiPT3
The COVID-19 pandemic sadly caused the cancellation of the 2020 Randox Grand National, although Potters Corner gave his connections the satisfaction of being announced the winner of the virtual contest broadcast on ITV.
Part-owned by Welsh rugby union international Jonathan Davies, Potters Corner landed the Grade 3 Welsh Grand National in 2019 and shaped promisingly in his two starts this season, including when third in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in November.
Other big name point-to-point graduates among the entries include dual William Hill Becher Chase hero Vieux Lion Rouge (David Pipe), Grade 3 Ultima Handicap Chase scorer The Conditional (David Bridgwater) and Yorkhill, a dual Grade 1 winner at Cheltenham for his former trainer Willie Mullins, who bounced back to form last time out when taking the Listed Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle for current trainer Sandy Thomson. Yorkhill is partly owned by golfer Lee Westwood, who has represented Europe in 10 Ryder Cups and was named player of the year for 2020.
The weights for the Randox Grand National will be announced on Tuesday, 16 February, with the big race itself taking place on Saturday 10 April.
