The entries for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand National have been announced and 82 horses are now in contention for the record prize money of £975,000. The 2012 Grand National takes place at Aintree on Saturday, April 14 and top of the list is Ballabriggs, the 2011 Grand National winner who is bidding for his second title in two years.
Champion trainer Willie Mullins heads up the Irish charge with 12 of the overall 31 entries from Ireland. Mullins, successful with Hedgehunter in the 2005 John Smith’s Grand National, has included Apt Approach, On His Own, Quel Esprit and The Midnight Club are among his dozen.
Other Irish-trained entries include the Shark Hanlon-trained Alfa Beat, the Arthur Moore-trained Organisedconfusion who won the 2011 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, and the Ted Walsh trained Seabass.
Somerset-based handler David Pipe won the 2008 John Smith’s Grand National with Comply Or Die and he is responsible for Junior who hopes to go one better than last year when he was cut before the final line-up.
Henrietta Knight has entered recent Sky Bet Chase winner Calgary Bay and the highly anticipated Shakalakaboomboom has been given the green light from Nicky Henderson’s stable after finishing behind Calgary bay on Saturday at Doncaster.
Alan King has thrown his hat in the ring with Hold On Julio and West End Rocker, the winner of the Betfred Becher Chase over the National fences at Aintree on December 3rd 2011.
Winner of the The John Smith’s Topham Chase in 2010 and 2011, Always Waining, is making the step up to the Grand National along with Le Beau Bai, winner of the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27.
Other Welsh National success stories, Giles Cross and Cappa Bleu and three time Aintree Grand National finisher State Of Play also hope to line up on the day.
With Oscar Time ruled out of the 2012 Grand National due to injury, the Waley-Cohens are hoping that Roulez Cool, owned, trained and bred by Robert Waley-Cohen and ridden by his son Sam, could carry the colours of last year’s runner-up.
THE GRAND NATIONAL ENTRIES
| HORSE | AGE | OWNER | TRAINER | FORM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABBEYBRANEY (IRE) | 11 | Sue Johnson | George Bewley | 2/31P/-FP |
| ALWAYS RIGHT (IRE) | 10 | John Wade | John Wade | 2113-1P |
| ACCORDING TO PETE | 11 | Peter Nelson | Malcolm Jefferson | 22-3011 |
| ALFA BEAT (IRE) | 8 | Irvin Naylor | John Hanlon | F-6041U |
| ALWAYS WAINING (IRE) | 11 | Mr & Mrs Douglas | Peter Bowen | 041-044 |
| ANOTHER PALM (IRE) | 7 | M J M Racing | Noel Meade | 6-12026 |
| ANY CURRENCY (IRE) | 9 | Cash Is King | Martin Keighley | 32-3P40 |
| APT APPROACH (IRE) | 9 | Greenstar Syndicate | Willie Mullins | 2-FU111 |
| ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) | 10 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill | 0P2F-60 |
| BACKSTAGE (FR) | 10 | MPR & Capranny | Gordon Elliott | P/5000-P |
| BALLABRIGGS (IRE) | 11 | Trevor Hemmings | Donald McCain | 11/1121- |
| BALLYVESEY (IRE) | 10 | R&P Fullagar | Peter Bowen | 12-20P3 |
| BECAUSEICOULDNTSEE (IRE) | 9 | Noel Glynn | Noel Glynn | 42F-63F |
| BLACK APALACHI (IRE) | 13 | Gerard Burke | Dessie Hughes | 51U/022/- |
| BLAZING TEMPO (IRE) | 8 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins | 143111 |
| BURTON PORT (IRE) | 8 | Trevor Hemmings | Nicky Henderson | 11121/2- |
| CALGARY BAY (IRE) | 9 | Camilla Radford | Henrietta Knight | 2F-0511 |
| CAPPA BLEU (IRE) | 10 | Angela Rucker | Evan Williams | 3F2P/-13 |
| CHICAGO GREY (IRE) | 9 | John Earls | Gordon Elliott | 10-U303 |
| COOLDINE (IRE) | 10 | Jackie Mullins | Willie Mullins | 3/5P-230 |
| CRESCENT ISLAND (IRE) | 9 | Sarah MacEchern | N Twiston-Davies | 5U-P20P |
| DEEP PURPLE | 11 | Paul Green | Evan Williams | 6/3U34-1 |
| FAIR ALONG (GER) | 10 | Alan Peterson | Philip Hobbs | 4-U2634 |
| GILES CROSS (IRE) | 10 | KCMS Partnership | Victor Dartnall | 3/P22-12 |
| HECTOR’S CHOICE (FR) | 8 | Jean Potter | Richard Lee | 1P-1323 |
| HELLO BUD (IRE) | 14 | Seamus Murphy | N Twiston-Davies | PP-5U65 |
| HOLD ON JULIO (IRE) | 8 | Mr & Mrs F Bell | Alan King | PP//1-11 |
| IN COMPLIANCE (IRE) | 12 | Dessie Hughes | Dessie Hughes | 431U0-P |
| JUNIOR | 9 | Middleham Park | David Pipe | 131/321- |
| KILLYGLEN (IRE) | 10 | David McCammon | Stuart Crawford | F-03034 |
| KING FONTAINE (IRE) | 9 | Trevor Hemmings | Malcolm Jefferson | 50-PP0F |
| LE BEAU BAI (FR) | 9 | Glass Half Full | Richard Lee | P-0P011 |
| LITTLE JOSH (IRE) | 9 | Tony Bloom | N Twiston-Davies | 6/1155-6 |
| MASSINI’S MAGUIRE (IRE) | 11 | Alan Peterson | David Pipe | 235/3/1-P |
| MIDNIGHT CHASE | 10 | Lady Clarke | Neil Mulholland | 115-F31 |
| MIDNIGHT HAZE | 10 | Kim Bailey Racing | Kim Bailey | 21/10P-1 |
| MINELLA THEATRE (IRE) | 9 | Middleham Park | Lawney Hill | 0P3-5U2 |
| MON MOME (FR) | 12 | Vida Bingham | Venetia Williams | 63F/-52P |
| NEPTUNE COLLONGES (FR) | 11 | John Hales | Paul Nicholls | 106-P42 |
| NEPTUNE EQUESTER | 9 | Koo’s Racing Club | Brian Ellison | 30-3150 |
| NICHE MARKET (IRE) | 11 | Graham Regan | Paul Nicholls | F505-02 |
| NORTHERN ALLIANCE (IRE) | 11 | Irish Rover Syndicate | Tony Martin | 500423- |
| ON HIS OWN (IRE) | 8 | A&G Wylie | Willie Mullins | 14P1-B1 |
| ORGANISEDCONFUSION (IRE) | 7 | Grace Dunlop | Arthur Moore | 12-133F |
| OUR ISLAND (IRE) | 7 | David Fox | Tim Vaughan | 0-42026 |
| PEARLYSTEPS | 9 | Glazeley Partnership | Henry Daly | 2130-F2 |
| PLANET OF SOUND | 10 | Charles Lloyd-Baker | Philip Hobbs | F01/35-2 |
| POSTMASTER | 9 | Bill & Ben Partner’ | Tim Vaughan | FP-2661 |
| PRINCE DE BEAUCHENE (FR) | 9 | A&G Wylie | Willie Mullins | U5351-5 |
| PSYCHO (IRE) | 11 | Exors ‘Late C McClure | Tony Martin | 0F2224 |
| QHILIMAR (FR) | 8 | Whites of Coventry & Stephen Dunn | Charlie Longsdon | R-120U3 |
| QUANTITATIVEEASING (IRE) | 7 | J P McManus | Nicky Henderson | 112-021 |
| QUEL ESPRIT (FR) | 8 | Red Barn Syndicate | Willie Mullins | 1FF-F11 |
| QUISCOVER FONTAINE (FR) | 8 | J P McManus | Willie Mullins | 2F-4010 |
| RARE BOB (IRE) | 10 | D A Syndicate | Dessie Hughes | PU-3450 |
| ROBERTO GOLDBACK (IRE) | 10 | Seamus Dunne | Dessie Hughes | 1U3043 |
| ROULEZ COOL | 9 | R Waley-Cohen | R Waley-Cohen | //U1/2B/1- |
| SADDLERS STORM (IRE) | 10 | Billy Moffett | Tony Martin | 0/660-P4 |
| SCHINDLER’S GOLD (IRE) | 10 | R & L Newland | Dr Richard Newland | 11PPP0 |
| SCOTSIRISH (IRE) | 11 | Double R Stables Syndicate | Willie Mullins | 363144 |
| SEABASS (IRE) | 9 | Gunners Syndicate | Ted Walsh | F11/-111 |
| SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM (IRE) | 8 | Liam Breslin | Nicky Henderson | 000-112 |
| SHAKERVILZ (FR) | 9 | Jackie Mullins | Willie Mullins | 30/-003P |
| SMOKING ACES (IRE) | 8 | J P McManus | Tom Taaffe | 05-3410 |
| SOME TARGET (IRE) | 8 | Captain Conflict Syndicate | Willie Mullins | PP24U6 |
| STATE OF PLAY | 12 | W&A Rucker | Evan Williams | 144/P3/4- |
| STEWARTS HOUSE (IRE) | 10 | Double Trouble Partnership | Tim Vaughan | P0-5121 |
| SUNNYHILLBOY (IRE) | 9 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill | 03F-30P |
| SWING BILL (FR) | 11 | David Johnson | David Pipe | 2313P2 |
| SYNCHRONISED (IRE) | 9 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill | 13-P031 |
| TARTAK (FR) | 9 | David Fox | Tim Vaughan | 04-5060 |
| TATENEN (FR) | 8 | The Stewart Family | Richard Rowe | 3100-01 |
| THARAWAAT (IRE) | 7 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott | 4-P1300 |
| THE MIDNIGHT CLUB (IRE) | 11 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins | 3/216-B4 |
| THE PACKAGE | 9 | David Johnson | David Pipe | 312U5/5- |
| TREACLE (IRE) | 11 | Bjorn Nielsen | Tom Taaffe | P/P-5142 |
| UNCLE JUNIOR (IRE) | 11 | Mrs M McMahon | Willie Mullins | 140310 |
| VIC VENTURI (IRE) | 12 | J P Dunne | Dessie Hughes | 0044B-2 |
| VIKING BLOND (FR) | 7 | Caroline Mould | N Twiston-Davies | 00-143P |
| WEIRD AL (IRE) | 9 | D Holden | Donald McCain | 1/10P-13 |
| WEST END ROCKER (IRE) | 10 | Winfield & Leadbeater | Alan King | 11PB-P1 |
| WYMOTT (IRE) | 8 | Trevor Hemmings | Donald McCain | 1P-6P60 |
The 2012 John Smith’s Grand National will be the first renewal since entry requirements were tightened. Only horses aged seven or above can now compete and every runner must have been placed in the first four of a chase of three miles or more by March 20 and be rated 120 or above.
The weights for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand National, compiled especially for the race by British Horseracing Authority Head of Handicapping Phil Smith, are announced at the Grand National Launch in London on Tuesday, February 14.
The two scratchings deadlines are on February 28 and March 20 with a five-day confirmation stage on April 9. The final declaration stage is at 10am on April 12 with a provision for four reserves.
