21 February 2023 , 15:00
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Trainer Emmet Mullins is set to take another shot at creating racing history with a repeat bid for the Randox Grand National with Noble Yeats.
The chaser claimed a shock success in 2022 when landing the race at 50-1 odds and delivering a fairytale victory for amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen on the last ride of his career.
A year later and with new rider Sean Bowen he could bid to become only the second horse in history – after Golden Miller in 1934 - to take the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and Randox Grand National in the same year.
The eight-year-old has been allocated 11st 11lb, 19lb more than last year in the handicap for the £1 million race for which Any Second Now, Conflated and Hewick are joint top weights with 11st 12lb.
Mullins said: “I can’t complain with a rating of 166. It’s 19lbs more than last year which will be a big ask but he seems to have progressed well this year and we know he takes to the fences. It’s horses for courses and fingers crossed he can put up a bold show.”
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Noble Yeats began the season in disappointing fashion, being pulled up in a Grade Three contest at Auteuil in France, but returned in style with back-to-back victories at Wexford and then Aintree in the Many Clouds Chase before finishing third in the Cotswold Chase last month.
“I suppose we had a bit of a hiccup first time up and it didn’t go to plan but since then we haven’t looked back and he ran very well in his two wins,” said Mullins. “And while he didn’t win at Cheltenham on his last run, he galloped all the way to the line so staying is definitely his forte.”
He has given little thought to emulating Golden Miller, adding: “It’s definitely one race at a time. You don’t think of the accolades but if he is lucky enough to do it then he’ll get the accolades that he deserves.
Noble Yeats (28) will be ridden by Sean Bowen at Aintree following the retirement of Sam Waley-Cohen (PA)“It’s special to have a horse run in those types of races, a Gold Cup or a Grand National, but to have a horse who you know is good enough to compete in them at the business end of those races – that’s the exciting part and what keeps the yard going.
“I would say it hasn’t really fully sunk in even now. Winning the National on our first try in the race, it has probably been lost on me how much goes into it and how many other years people have been trying to win the race and not succeeded, so I’d say I’ve been spoilt a bit and it’s hard to comprehend what happened. I’m sure one day it’ll hit me!”
Conflated is one of 19 entries trained by Gordon Elliott who needs one more victory to join Ginger McCain, Fred Rimell and 19th century trainer George Dockery who won the Grand National four times.
Elliott won the race with Silver Birch in 2006 and twice with Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019 before his hat-trick bid was thwarted by the pandemic which forced the cancellation of the race.
“It would be nice to win the race for a fourth time and hopefully we will have a good team on our side so we will give it a good go,” said the trainer whose entries also include Delta Work and Galvin .
Tiger Roll's trainer Gordon Elliott could become the joint-most successful Grand National trainer with a fourth win (PA)“It would be unbelievable if we could win it for a record equalling fourth time and really would be a dream come true.”
With British-trained horses making up only 31 of the 85 original entries, former winner Lucinda Russell is hoping to relive her 2017 victory with One For Arthuer with latest candidate Corach Rambler who has been allotted 10st 5lb.
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“Scu [partner Peter Scudamore] said the other day that we’ve got to get off our a**es and do something because the Irish are ahead of us and they are!” she said.
“They’re got a very good squad and are great trainers with excellent facilities and we’ve got to step up to that and improve ourselves so we can do the same.
“It’s very important for us to represent Scotland and the north and we’re very territorial about that, but at the end of the day we’re still British trainers who happen to train in Scotland.”
Grand National 2023 date and start time
The race will be run at 5.15pm on Saturday, April 15. It is the feature race of a three-day meeting at Aintree Racecourse, which begins on Thursday, April 13.
Weights for all 78 remaining entries
The final list of runners will be published in the build-up to the big race.
1 Any Second Now (IRE) 11 11 12 167 Mr John P. McManus Ted Walsh IRE
2 Conflated (IRE) 9 11 12 167 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
3 Hewick (IRE) 8 11 12 167 Mr T. J. Mcdonald John Hanlon IRE
4 Galvin (IRE) 9 11 11 166 Mr R. A. Bartlett Gordon Elliott IRE
5 Noble Yeats (IRE) 8 11 11 166 Mr Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins IRE
6 Envoi Allen (FR) 9 11 8 163 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead IRE
7 Royale Pagaille (FR) 9 11 8 163 Mrs S. Ricci Venetia Williams
8 Fury Road (IRE) 9 11 6 161 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
9 Capodanno (FR) 7 11 5 160 Mr John P. McManus Willie Mullins IRE
10 The Big Dog (IRE) 10 11 5 160 Damien J. Kelly/Colin Kelly Peter Fahey IRE
11 Delta Work (FR) 10 11 4 159 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
12 Sam Brown (GB) 11 11 4 159 Mr T. C. Frost Anthony Honeyball
13 Franco de Port (FR) 8 11 3 158 Bruton Street V Willie Mullins IRE
14 Lifetime Ambition (IRE) 8 11 3 158 Linda Mulcahy/Mary Wolridge Jessica Harrington IRE
15 Carefully Selected (IRE) 11 11 1 156 Miss M. A. Masterson Willie Mullins IRE
16 Chris's Dream (IRE) 11 11 0 155 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
17 Coko Beach (FR) 8 11 0 155 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
18 Gaillard du Mesnil (FR) 7 11 0 155 Mrs J. Donnelly Willie Mullins IRE
19 Longhouse Poet (IRE) 9 11 0 155 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil IRE
*20 Minella Times (IRE) 10 11 0 155 Mr John P. McManus Henry de Bromhead IRE
21 Darasso (FR) 10 10 13 154 Mr John P. McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
22 Burrows Saint (FR) 10 10 12 153 Mrs S. Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
23 Pencilfulloflead (IRE) 9 10 12 153 Robcour Gordon Elliott IRE
24 Ga Law (FR) 7 10 11 152 The Footie Partnership Jamie Snowden
25 Happygolucky (IRE) 9 10 11 152 Lady Dulverton Kim Bailey
26 Le Milos (GB) 8 10 11 152 The Jolly Good Partnership Dan Skelton
27 Quick Wave (FR) 10 10 11 152 Ms Sharon Kinsella Venetia Williams
28 The Shunter (IRE) 10 10 11 152 Mr John P. McManus Emmet Mullins IRE
29 Escaria Ten (FR) 9 10 10 151 McNeill Family Gordon Elliott IRE
30 Farclas (FR) 9 10 10 151 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
31 Remastered (GB) 10 10 10 151 Brocade Racing David Pipe
32 The Big Breakaway (IRE) 8 10 10 151 Eric Jones, Geoff Nicholas, John Romans Joe Tizzard
33 Threeunderthrufive (IRE) 8 10 9 150 McNeill Family Paul Nicholls
34 Cape Gentleman (IRE) 7 10 8 149 Mr Pierre Manigault John Hanlon IRE
35 Cilaos Emery (FR) 11 10 8 149 The Has Been's Sophie Leech
36 Diol Ker (FR) 9 10 8 149 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
37 Roi Mage (FR) 11 10 8 149 Pryde/Van Der Hoeven/McGladery/Beaumont Patrick Griffin IRE
38 A Wave of The Sea (IRE) 7 10 6 147 Mr John P. McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
39 Minella Trump (IRE) 9 10 6 147 Mr T. G. Leslie Donald McCain
40 Vanillier (FR) 8 10 6 147 Mrs H. M. Keaveney Gavin Cromwell IRE
41 Velvet Elvis (IRE) 7 10 6 147 Mr D. Kierans Tom Gibney IRE
42 Ain't That A Shame (IRE) 9 10 5 146 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
43 Corach Rambler (IRE) 9 10 5 146 The Ramblers Lucinda Russell
44 Enjoy d'Allen (FR) 9 10 5 146 Mr John P. McManus Ciaran Murphy IRE
45 Lord Lariat (IRE) 8 10 5 146 P.Blake/Patrick John Casey Dermot McLoughlin IRE
46 Ash Tree Meadow (FR) 7 10 4 145 Alymer Stud Ltd Gordon Elliott IRE
47 Battleoverdoyen (IRE) 10 10 4 145 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
48 Cloudy Glen (IRE) 10 10 4 145 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Venetia Williams
49 Gin On Lime (FR) 7 10 4 145 Robcour Henry de Bromhead IRE
50 Mister Coffey (FR) 8 10 4 145 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson
51 Mr Incredible (IRE) 7 10 4 145 Mr P. Byrne Willie Mullins IRE
52 Ashtown Lad (IRE) 9 10 3 144 Darren & Annaley Yates Dan Skelton
53 Gabbys Cross (IRE) 8 10 2 143 Mr R. S. Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead IRE
54 Hill Sixteen (GB) 10 10 2 143 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson
55 Eva's Oskar (IRE) 9 10 1 142 Sally & Richard Prince Tim Vaughan
56 Rapper (GB) 9 10 1 142 The Home Farm Partnership Henry Daly
57 Recite A Prayer (IRE) 8 10 1 142 The Turner Family Willie Mullins IRE
58 Death Duty (IRE) 12 10 0 141 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
59 Dunboyne (IRE) 8 10 0 141 S. P. O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE
60 Francky du Berlais (FR) 10 10 0 141 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen
61 Frontal Assault (IRE) 8 10 0 141 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
62 Our Power (IRE) 8 10 0 141 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas
63 Sporting John (IRE) 8 10 0 141 Mr John P. McManus Philip Hobbs
64 Back On The Lash (GB) 9 9 13 140 Maughan, Redknapp, Ryan, Salters Martin Keighley
65 Fortescue (GB) 9 9 13 140 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly
66 Defi Bleu (FR) 10 9 12 139 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
67 Born By The Sea (IRE) 9 9 10 137 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE
68 Gevrey (FR) 7 9 10 137 Denis Gallagher Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
69 Milan Native (IRE) 10 9 10 137 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
70 Punitive (IRE) 9 9 10 137 Pioneer Racing Gordon Elliott IRE
71 Captain Kangaroo (IRE) 8 9 8 135 Kanga Racing & Brett Graham Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
72 Darrens Hope (IRE) 9 9 8 135 Robert Murphy Robert Murphy IRE
73 Fakiera (FR) 8 9 8 135 Mr T. O'Driscoll Gordon Elliott IRE
74 Mortal (IRE) 11 9 8 135 Mr A. Dunlop Gordon Elliott IRE
75 Captain Cattistock (GB) 10 9 5 132 Mr Nic Brereton Fergal O'Brien
76 Fantastikas (FR) 8 9 5 132 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Nigel Twiston-Davies
77 Secret Reprieve (IRE) 9 9 5 132 Mr & Mrs William Rucker Evan Williams
78 Glamorgan Duke (IRE) 10 9 1 128 Natalie Gilligan Paul Gilligan IRE
*Minella Times has been retired
SCRATCHED; Fiddlerontheroof (IRE), Grumpy Charley (GB), Iwilldoit (GB), Riders Onthe Storm (IRE)
NOT QUALIFIED: Chemical Energy (IRE), Nearly Perfect (GB), Minella Crooner (IRE)
Latest Grand National 2023 odds from William Hill
10-1 Noble Yeats, 14-1 Corach Rambler, 16-1 Longhouse Poet, Le Milos, Gaillard Du Mesnil, 20-1 Delta Work, Conflated, Mr Incredible, Carefully Selected, Galvin, Any Second Now, 25-1 Remastered, Capodano, Lifetime Ambition, Hewick, The Big Dog, 33-1 bar
Grand National 2023 market movers
Hills are the only bookmaker to be offering non-runner, money back at the weights stage.
Spokesperson Lee Phelps said: “Any Second Now looks to have been set a tough task to go one better than his second place finish last year, and as a result he has been eased in our betting, out to 20-1 from 14s prior to today’s announcement.
“On the flip side, both Corach Rambler (14-1 from 16-1) and Mr Incredible (20-1 from 25-1) have been clipped by our traders. Corach Rambler represents a yard, in Lucinda Russell, who have won the race recently and remains unexposed at extended trips which look likely to suit.
“Mr Incredible could end up being the all-conquering Willie Mullins’ first string and is unexposed for the yard."