The race that grips the entire nation is only a couple of months away, as Aintree is getting set to welcome fans back to the Grand National for the first time post-COVID restrictions. Last year’s showpiece event of the Aintree Festival got the whole world talking, as Rachel Blackmore continued to push the boundaries by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National under Minella Times for trainer Henry De Bromhead.
Welsh racing fans will be hoping that this could be the year when the country gets a win in the famous National Hunt race. The last Welsh-trained winner of the race came way back in 1905 as Kirkland won the illustrious race. But, there could be three excellent chances to end that wait this year.
Iwilldoit
There isn’t a more exciting horse in training in Wales than Iwilldoit. The nine-year-old has been perfect so far this season, with two wins from two. His season reappearance came back at the start of December as he claimed a dominant 24-length success in the Welsh Grand National Trial at Chepstow. He returned just over 20 days later to claim success in the big Grade 3 itself, finishing nine lengths clear of Highland Hunter over the 3m 6 ½ f distance.
Stamina doesn’t seem like it will be an issue for this horse trained by Sam Thomas, who has been one of the breakout stars in terms of trainers this season. The handicap given to the nine-year-old is likely to be pivotal to his chances, but on the evidence seen so far this season, he has every chance of putting in a strong bid. He could be an excellent selection after claiming a welcome bonus at your-bonus-code.com.
Secret Reprieve
Secret Reprieve is another of the horses that was involved in the Welsh National at the end of December. However, the eight-year-old was underwhelming on that day, as he was a distance 44 lengths behind Iwilldoit. However, it’s hard to ignore the form that he showed around Chepstow in December and January of last season. He was a 12-length winner over The Two Amigos in the Welsh National Trail for trainer Evan Williams, before claiming success in the Welsh National by three lengths from the same rival.
He was on a lower mark for the National at the end of December but didn’t have the ideal trip round. He was towards the back of the field, before weakening three from the finish to be the last of the horses home. However, he remains of interest for the Grand National, especially given that he has experience around Aintree.
Potters Corner
Many believe that Potters Corner was denied his best chance of Grand National success in 2020, as the Aintree showpiece was called off due to COVID. Of course, he went on to win the Virtual Grand National that year, but that would have counted for very little for trainer Christian Williams.
There is still life left in the old dog at the age of 12, and he has shown that on some excellent efforts around Cheltenham this season. He was very unfortunate in the Cross Country at the December meeting, as he finished second by a nose from Diesel D’Allier. However, whether his best days are behind him is up for debate. In December, he was pulled up in the Welsh National just as he was in the Grand National at Aintree in 2021.