It’s the biggest race of the entire year at Aintree on Saturday, the Grand National 2024. A reduced field of 34 will go to post this year in a bid to secure the £500,000 top prize. Thrills and spills are assured in what is the most exciting ten minutes of the jumps season. Here we look at some of the best bets for the Grand National, which will be shown live on ITV and gets underway at 4pm.
Limerick Lace – win only
It has been a fantastic week at Aintree for owner JP McManus and Limerick Lace might be able to cap it for him by winning the big one under his retained rider, Mark Walsh. Limerick Lace is bred to stay as her brother is Inothewayurthinkin, who won over 3m1f at this course yesterday, and she has shown loads of ability over shorter on her last two outings.
She was an easy winner of a mares’ chase at Doncaster over Christmas and returned from a long absence to land the Grade 2 Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham last month. She brushed aside her rivals with the minimum of fuss that day and appeared to have plenty left in the tank. Further improvement will be needed if Limerick Lace is to win the Grand National, but she is 6lb well in following her victory at Cheltenham and has the ability to play a part.
Kitty’s Light – each-way
There aren’t many better trainers of a staying chaser than Christian Williams and the ground might now be turning in the favour of his runner, Kitty’s Light. It takes a smart performer to do what he did last season. Kitty’s Light completed a rare hat-trick that included the Eider at Newcastle, Scottish Grand National at Ayr and the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. He was strong at the finish on every occasion and clearly stays well.
Kitty’s Light has had a low-key season until now, but it was the same before the Eider last year and he took off afterwards. This will have been his main aim all season and a mark of 146 has him only 6lb higher than when recording his last success at Sandown last spring.
Delta Work – each-way
Gordon Elliott has saddled the Grand National winner three times and Delta Work might be capable of giving him another one as he stays well and is suited by this type of race. Delta Work is a Grade 1 winner with a touch of class and he has been campaigned in cross-country races in recent years. He was being lined up for that race at the Cheltenham Festival last month and the fact that it was cancelled might be a blessing in disguise for him.
That means Delta Work comes into the Grand National as a fresh horse and he races off a mark 2lb lower than last year, when he unseated at the 21st. He was going well at the time. The blinkers replace the cheekpieces that he has worn with success in the past and he was third in this race two years ago off a 3lb higher mark. There is a chance he can go two better.
By James Mason
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