Grand National Runners
The 2013 Grand National Runners have not yet been announced but will become available in January 2013 so please check back then.
In the mean time, Paddy Power Bookmakers are taking ante-post bets on who they think will run and win next year. The list below is not confirmed and all bets will be ante-post.
Seabass is Grand National Winning trainer Ted Walsh's only entry into the 2012 Grand National and comes with an immaculate record with six back-to-back wins with five of them being won with either Ruby Walsh or Katie Walsh on board - two of Ted Walsh's children. He is nine years old and from 11 chase starts has turned out five wins, a second and a third.
LATEST FORM (1/1111)
With perfect form, a solid 10-12 weight for the 2012 Grand National, a winning trainer and still only 9 years old, you would be forgiven for thinking that Seabass was going to absolutely walk the Grand National but a closer look shows you that Seabass has never raced outside of Ireland, appears to be far more comfortable at 2m4f, has never entered a race more than 3m and does his best work on Heavy ground. A long shot for the win but could surprise by being placed...
Katie Walsh
Ted Walsh
Ted Walsh is most famous these days for his 2000 Grand National win with Papillon, trained by himself and ridden by his son Ruby. His victory by one and a half lengths from Mely Moss, was the winning debut in the National for Ruby Walsh and this year Seabass is his only hopeful, albeit a good one.
As well as being a trainer, Walsh is a journalist and TV racing analyst following a career as a jockey, with an impressive record of being eleven times Irish Champion amateur rider, winning more than 600 races on the Flat and partnering four Cheltenham festival winners.
Sunnyhillboy | ODDS 20/1
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A good, solid horse, Sunnyhillboy has been suffering from poor form recently - at least in comparison to the 2009/2010 season and also, dare I say it, since AP McCoy stopped regularly pairing with him. Owned by JP McManus and trained by Jonjo O'Neill, he has run at Aintree but never over 4miles with the large bulk of his races between 2 and 2.5 miles. Proven over hurdles, the 2012 Grand National may just be a tad too much for this fella and finishing 9th at Haydock on Feb 18th doesn't help his cause.
LATEST FORM (37P91)
Poorer form than usual of late, Sunnyhillboy has more wins over hurdles than chases and may need another couple of races under his belt if he is to be seriously considered for the 2012 Grand National. Most recently he pulled up at Cheltenham in December despite going into the race as 7/2f and only managed 9th place at Haydock on Feb 18th in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle.
Richie McLernon
Despite racing the most with AP McCoy, it's unlikely that he will ride him in the 2012 Grand National so it's more probable that Richie McClernon will be on board. McClernon has ridden in nearly a 1000 races but with just over 85 wins to his name, the stats don't necessarily bode well for him and he has never won on Sunnyboyhill.
Jonjo O'Neill
Since 2001 Jonjo O'Neill has been based out of Jackdaws Castle and in his first season there sent out 114 winners. In the 2006/07 season he recorded 126 winners which earned close to £2m in prize money. His stable boasts superstar names such as Butler’s Cabin, Albertas Run, Witchita Lineman, Don’t Push It, Synchronised and Theatrical Moment and with one Grand National win already under his belt, you can bet that he's more than keen for a second!
ON HIS OWN | ODDS 20/1
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With the news that On His Own was to be given an entry in to the 2012 Grand National on April 14th 2012, his odds shortened dramatically from 33/1, to 25/1 to 16/1 making him the fifth ante-post favourite for the race with Paddy Power.
LATEST FORM (4P1-B1)
On His Own has displayed very good form recently and is fresh off the back of a win in the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park, Ireland on 26th Jan 2012. He traveled very well over the 3m and the 16 fences and made up for the fact that he had previously been brought down in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown a month earlier where he had gone off as 7/2f.
With six career chase starts producing three wins, he may not necessarily be the most experienced horse to set off on Grand National day and with the new regulations in place, his ability to go the distance isn't in question as he has won over 3m1f, but then again so have many others.
Ruby Walsh
This will be Ruby's 11th Grand National and his attempt for a third win having already been successful on both Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005. Along with AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh is considered one of the greatest hunt jockeys of all time and odds on the horse that he rides significantly shorten as he has ridden horses that placed an incredible six times.
Willie Mullins
Willie Mullins commenced training in 1988 having worked as assistant to both his father, Paddy, and to Jim Bolger. He still rates his father as the biggest influence on his career.
Willie has enjoyed considerable success at the highest level, with plenty of Cheltenham Festival successes, notably with now-retired stable star Florida Pearl, who won an amazing 16 of his 33 starts and getting on for £1million in prize money.
His victories included the Bumper and the Sun Alliance Chase in successive years at Cheltenham and more famously, the Aintree Grand National, when he trained Hedgehunter to a 2005 Grand National win. Willie trains in a lovely setting at County Carlow in Ireland.
CAPPA BLEU | ODDS 20/1
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This will be Cappa Bleu's first entry in the Grand National and with mixed form behind him, he may not necessarily be the first choice for many punters. But a recent win at Haydock, where he carried 11-11, followed by consecutive third places at Chepstow (Coral Welsh Grand National) and Ascot has brought him more positive attention and his odds have shortened considerably.
LATEST FORM (2P/133)
Cappa Bleu has only had six chase starts resulting in two wins and three third places so up against the more experienced horses such as Ballabriggs, things could be tough for him. He likes the ground Gd/Sft and has the ability to go the distance with a win at over 3m2f and finishing third in the Coral Welsh Grand National in December pegged him as a contender for the 2012 Grand National.
Paul Moloney
One of the jockeys who has really been catching the eye of late is Paul Moloney – since the start of the 2011-12 season he has had 57 wins from 431 rides - a 13% win rate but has also been placed an additional 140 times.
Paddy Power pays out to top 5 in the 2012 Grand National so he could be worth a punt.
Evan Williams
The grandson to a point-to-point trainer, Evan Williams needed no introduction into the horse racing scene and has kept up the family tradition by being incredibly successful from his yard at Aberogwrn Farm.
In 2002 he won the National Point-to-Point Championship and later became the leading point-to-point trainer in Britain. In all Evan has trained and ridden over 200 point-to-point winners. To date over 480 winners have been trained from Aberogwrn Farm.
BALLABRIGGS | ODDS 33/1
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The winner of the 2011 Grand National, Ballabriggs is clearly one of the ante post favourites for the 2012 Grand National should he run again. As expected he was heavily weighted at 11-09 for the 2012 renewal which does make it far more difficult to achieve the back to back wins that he would like, come April 14th.
LATEST FORM (1121-4)
He hasn't run since the 2011 Grand National and has no preparation races lined up so it looks like he's going to go straight to the 2012 Grand National.
Jason Maguire
Jason Maguire, 31, is an Irish horse racing jockey who won the 2011 Grand National on Ballabriggs. He rode his first winner, Search For Peace at Cheltenham on November 12, 1999. He then went on to ride for Tom George's stable for the next seven years and had a Cheltenham Festival victory on Galileo in 2002. In 2007, he switched to ride for Donald McCain, Jr. and after eight unsuccessful rides in the Grand National, his best previous finish was sixth on Cloudy Lane in 2008, he went on to win it on 14/1 shot Ballabriggs.
Donald McCain Jr.
Racehorse trainer Donald started training in 2006 at Bankhouse, taking over from his father, the legendary 'Ginger' McCain. Set in the heart of rural Cheshire, Bankhouse has stabling for more than 100 horses. In only five seasons training Donald has been responsible for in excess of 360 winners including the Aintree Grand National in 2011 with Ballabriggs as well as at the Cheltenham Festival with Cloudy Lane, Whiteoak, Peddlers Cross and Ballabriggs.
SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM | ODDS 33/1
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This will be Shakalakaboomboom's first entry and with fantastic recent form behind him, a Grand National winning jockey on board and one of the most successful trainers in the UK working on him, his chances are more than good for the 2012 Grand National.
LATEST FORM (7-1122)
Two recent wins at Cheltenham and Punchestown have solidified Shakalakaboomboom as an ante-post favourite for the 2012 Grand National and with good reason. He had a superb 2010, went a little off the boil in early 2011 but is now back with a bang and causing quite a stir with the bookies. All of his wins have come at carrying over 11-00 so getting 10-12 from the handicapper must be a gift for his connections. He also likes the ground good so if the stars line up for him on the day he could be a real contender. Downside is that he's eight but don't let that stop you sticking an e/w on him!
Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty is one of the most successful and accomplished jockeys in the racing industry and from 2002/03 when he led Moscow Flyer in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and won no less than five races in that festival, he has gone from strength to strength.
He continued the season in incredible form taking the most coveted prize of them all – the Aintree Grand National on the Jimmy Mangan-trained Monty’s Pass. In recognition of his amazing year, Geraghty was voted as ‘Sports Personality Of The Year’ later that season for his wonderful victories, the first time that this prize had been won by anyone in the racing industry.
Nicky Henderson
Nicky Henderson needs no introduction to those who are keen National Hunt racing enthusiasts. Henderson started training in 1978 and has trained over thirty Cheltenham National Hunt Festival winners. He has three times been the leading National Hunt trainer, but has so far been denied success in the Grand National.
If ever there was a year for Nicky Henderson to win this coveted title, this could be it. Shakalakaboomboom is the one to get your each-way bet on!
This will be Killyglen's second shot at the Aintree Grand National, having fallen in the 2011 event when he went off at at 66/1 under jockey Robbie Power. He has run five times since but four of them have been over hurdles. So with only one chase under his belt in the year and considerably mixed form and three different jockeys riding him, he hasn't quite settled since 2011.
LATEST FORM (30341)
It has been three years since 10 year old Killyglen has won a race and his form is mixed but he has knowledge of Aintree and has won there as well as running at over 4m which helps with the stamina required for the 2012 Grand National. Good ground suits him and he has only been given 10-04 by the handicapper so he does have a chance, albeit an outside one.
Robbie Power
Stuart Crawford
Trainer Stuart Crawford is based in Larne, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. Still only in his 30's, he represented Ireland at senior level in eventing at the World Equestrian Games and European Championships.
He took out his point-to-point and jumps racing permit a few years before gaining his full trainers licence in the summer of 2010. His yard is split 50/50 between pointers and National Hunt horses.
WEST END ROCKER | ODDS 40/1
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A recent winner at Aintree in December 2011, West End Rocker is trained by Alan King and was unfortunate in the 2011 Grand National, when he was brought down at the 6th fence. In 2011 he carried 10-05 and has been given an increased weight of 10-12 for the 2012 renewal. He has no further prep races scheduled so it's straight to Aintree for West End Rocker.
LATEST FORM (1PB-P1)
A good solid win at Aintree on December 3rd 2011 in a field of 14 where he romped home by a massive 22 lengths over nearest rival Niche Market. But, pulled up at Cheltenham the previous month and brought down in the 2011 Grand National. He prefers to going Good/GdSft and with eight wins/places from his 14 career chase starts would have netted you about 57% return on your cash if you had bet each-way on him in every race.
Wayne Hutchinson
With over 1300 races to his name and over 165 wins, Wayne Hutchinson is a solid jockey who has competed in three previous Grand Nationals, including 2010 on Erics Charm when he fell at the first. He works for trainer Alan King and is the yards second jockey behind Robert Thornton. He learnt his trade from two former greats in the shape of Stan Mellor and Jeff King, before coming to Barbury in the summer of 2002.
Alan King
Born in 1966, he went to work at David Nicholson’s Condicote yard as a teenager, where he soon became Assistant. In December 1999 he took out his own licence at Jackdaws Castle, where he trained 31 winners in six months. On 1 June 2000 King moved to Barbury Castle, which has since been improved and expanded in the quest for more winners. In 2009 he secured top trainer honours at the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National meeting with three successes.
