Corach Rambler goes for repeat in Grand National

AINTREE, England – This may take a little while.

The Grand National, one of the world’s most famous races, will be run at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday at a distance of about 4 1/4 miles on what is likely to be heavy turf.

Not only is the race run at a grueling distance over much tougher fences than a typical steeplechase, but the condition of the course will reduce a starting field of 34 to likely less than 10 finishers at the end of a race expected to take nearly 10 minutes.

The 10-year-old gelding Corach Rambler won the 2023 Grand National and will attempt to become the first repeat winner since Tiger Roll in 2019. In 2018, the last time the race was run on heavy turf, Tiger Roll finished in 9:40.10 when the race was run at 4 5/16 miles.

Corach Rambler, trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell, beat 38 rivals in the 2023 Grand National on good-to-soft turf as the 8-1 favorite. Corach Rambler carried 145 pounds last year, but will carry 160 pounds on Saturday, six fewer than topweight Noble Yeats, a 9-year-old who won the 2022 Grand National and was fourth last year.

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Corach Rambler, the 11-2 favorite as of Thursday, should handle the heavy turf, having won a handicap chase at 3 1/8 miles on soft turf at Cheltenham in March 2023. He finished a good third behind the star chaser Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup at 3 5/16 miles on March 15. Galopin Des Champs is not part of the Grand National field.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a weight-for-age race that compares well to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The $1.25 million Grand National is a handicap and a unique race that requires two circuits of the course at Aintree.

Corach Rambler carries the hope of the British team. Of the 34 runners, 26 are trained in Ireland, including the other three runners at 10-1 or less as of Thursday – I Am Maximus (8-1), Meetingofthewaters (9-1) and Vanillier (10-1).

I Am Maximus and Meetingofthewaters are two of the eight runners in the race trained by Willie Mullins, Ireland’s dominant jump racing trainer.

I Am Maximus was third to Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup on Feb. 3 at Leopardstown and beat three rivals, including runner-up Vanillier, in the Bobbyjo Chase at 3 5/16 miles on soft-to-heavy turf on Feb. 24 at Fairyhouse.

Vanillier, trained by Gavin Cromwell, was second by 2 1/4 lengths to Corach Rambler in the 2023 Grand National. Meetingofthewaters was third in a handicap chase on soft-to-heavy turf at Cheltenham last month.

The conditions of the Grand National have changed this year. The field has been reduced from 40 to 34 in an attempt to improve safety and potentially reduce the number of fallers; and the distance has been decreased by 60 yards with the hope the still huge field will reach the first fence at a slower speed. There have frequently been falls at the first fence in recent years.

In a further attempt to slow the early pace, the field will have a standing start and will not be walked toward the starting tape.

Post time for the Grand National is 11 a.m. Eastern. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Gerri Colombe takes Bowl Chase

On Thursday’s first day of the three-day Grand National meeting, Gerri Colombe, second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, won the fifth Grade 1 race of his 13-race career in the $317,000 Bowl Chase at 3 1/8 miles.

Ridden by Jack Kennedy for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott, Gerri Colombe (who paid $6 in American pools) closed from fifth of seven to finish a half-length in front of 7-1 Ahoy Senior, trained by Russell.

Shishkin, the 8-5 favorite, was well positioned throughout, but faded to finish fourth.

Willie Mullins won two of Thursday’s four Grade 1 races – the $317,000 Aintree Hurdle at 2 1/2 miles with favored Impaire Et Passe ($3.60) in the tightest finish of the day, and a novices’ chase at about 2 1/2 miles with the improving Il Etait Temps ($7.20). Both were ridden by Paul Townend.

Impaire Et Passe finished a nose in front of 8-5 Bob Olinger, with 12-1 Langer Dan beaten a short head for second. The three raced in tight quarters in the final sixteenth. The stewards conducted a 19-minute inquiry, but did not change the order of finish.

Il Etait Temps was always near the front in a field of five and won by a convincing nine lengths over 3-1 Ginny’s Destiny for his third win in five starts in chases. They easily beat 3-5 Grey Dawning, who finished third after posing no threat in deep stretch.

Sir Gino remained unbeaten after four starts with a sharp 3 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at 2 1/8 miles for 4-year-olds. Sent off favored in a field of six, Sir Gino ($3.40) finished 3 1/4 lengths in front of the filly Kargese, a 3-2 chance trained by Mullins.

Sir Gino is trained by Nicky Henderson, whose British stable was struck by an illness in early March that led to many of his runners being withdrawn from Cheltenham’s prestigious four-day meeting.

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