The BHA Chase Handicapper Martin Greenwood today unveiled the weights for this year’s Randox Grand National at Aintree contenders – then hailed the “quality at the top end” of the race as “very positive”.
Explaining the reasoning behind some of his decisions, he said:
“This year we are doing well at the top end for horses rated in the 150s and 160s and there are a handful of very good horses entered, including last year’s winner Noble Yeats.
“Noble Yeats has around 20lbs more than last year but his form this season in Graded races is the reason for that. The three horses at the top of the handicap – Conflated, Any Second Now and Hewick – you would think are all quite likely to run and it’s very positive that the quality of the race at the top end of the handicap is well up to standard.
“As regards Hewick’s win in the American Grand National, we officially regard that race as a hurdle race on our system as the obstacles there are a kind of mix between our hurdles and fences. The hurdle team had him running up to a mark in the mid-150s when he won that day and I don’t think it told us anything about him we didn’t already know really. Obviously the fact he cost so little, won at Sandown Park, was unlucky when he unseated at Listowel, has been over to America and won means he is the feelgood story of the race. His trainer has been very positive and I hope he runs.
“There weren’t any horses that caused me any particular difficulties this year – they were all more or less straightforward horses. In terms of getting a run on the day, I would say you would be looking at horses rated around 142 or 143.”
2023 Randox Grand National Weights
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
