The 2019 Grand National has attracted a bumper entry of 112 horses - up from 104 in 2018 and includes a record 47 trained in Ireland. The previous highest number of Irish-trained entries was 40 just last year.
Irish trainer Gordon Elliott will be attempting to land his third Grand National after Tiger Roll held on by a head from the fast-finishing Pleasant Company (Willie Mullins) last year.
Tiger Roll is currently the 20/1 joint-favourite with many of the leading online bookmakers, as he bids to become the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back renewals of the race.
Unsurprisingly Elliott holds the most entries once again with a total of 22 horses engaged.
His armada of runners includes last year's third Bless The Wings, the Thyestes Chase runner-up Alpha Des Obeaux, the 2018 Irish Grand National winner General Principle and last season's Thyestes Chase scorer Monbeg Notorious (50/1), plus Grade One winners Outlander and Shattered Love.
Cork Grand National winner Out Sam and the Far Hills (USA) victor Jury Duty are also amongst the Elliott entries.
In addition to Pleasant Company, Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins has entered up nine other possibles.
These include last season's Irish Grand National runner-up Isleofhopendreams, 2018 Leinster National winner Pairofbrowneyes and Rathvinden, who captured the four-mile National Hunt Chase at the The Festival in 2018.
Some Neck, the Thyestes Chase third Up For Review and Total Recall, winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy (formerly the Hennessy) at Newbury in 2017, also feature among the ten Mullins entries.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is seeking a record-equalling third success in the race after his Gigginstown Stud won last year with Tiger Roll and two years prior to that, with Rule The World. Gigginstown make up a total of 14 of the entries.
Leading British contenders include the Trevor Hemmings-owned Vintage Clouds, third in last season's Scottish Grand National behind Joe Farrell, plus Rock The Kasbah who won a valuable handicap chase at Cheltenham in November.
The 112 entries as of Wednesday 30th January and their approximate odds are as follows:
20/1 - Tiger Roll, Elegant Escape
25/1 - Vintage Clouds, Rock The Kasbah
33/1 - Mall Dini, Rathvinden, Abolitionist, Valtor, Pleasant Company, Alpha des Obeaux, Vieux Lion Rouge, Step Back, Lake View Lad, Ballyoptic, Ms Parfois, Anibale Fly, Warriors Tale, General Principle, One For Arthur, Walk In The Mill
40/1 - Go Conquer, Shattered Love, Isleofhopendreams, Folsom Blue, Joe Farrell, Jury Duty, Auvergnat, Fact of The Matter, Royal Vacation, Some Neck, The Young Master, Cogry, Total Recall, Ramses De Teillee, Allysson Monterg, Traffic Fluide, Acapella Bourgeois, Ultragold, Up For Review, Minella Rocco, Missed Approach, Out Sam, Impulsive Star, Noble Endeavor, Blaklion
50/1 - Baie Des Iles, Mr Diablo, Willie Boy, Monbeg Notorious, Outlander, Pairofbrowneyes, Bristol de Mai, Calett Mad, The Last Samuri, Daklondike, Don Poli, The Dutchman, Yala Enki, Singlefarmpayment, Give Me A Copper, Rogue Angel, Black Corton
66/1 - Sandymount Duke, Kilcrea Vale, Shantou Village, Livelovelaugh, American, Sizing Codelco, Exitas, Edwulf, Ziga Boy, Dounikos, Sub Lieutenant, Tea For Two, Looking Well, Rathlin Rose, Magic of Light, Mala Beach, Captain Redbeard, Call It Magic, Master Dee, Milansbar, Blow By Blow, Morney Wing, Kingswell Theatre, Van Gogh du Granit, Ballyhill, Vieux Morvan, Ballydine, Ballyarthur, Ned Stark, Westerner Point
80/1 - Regal Encore, Red Infantry, Splash of Ginge , Bless The Wings
100/1 - A Toi Phil, Measureofmydreams, Polidam, Potters Corner, Lieutenant Colonel, Woods Well, Scoir Mear, Just A Par, Back To The Thatch, Jarob, Highland Lodge, Skipthecuddles, The Storyteller, Carole's Destrier, Borice, Valseur Lido.
The lead up to the Grand National starts in earnest in a fortnight’s time when Aintree’s sister racecourse, Haydock Park, hosts the £100,000 G3 Grand National Trial on Saturday, February 16th.
A total of 46 entries have been received for the extended three and a half-mile handicap chase, with 23 of those entries also engaged in the Grand National itself, so there will be plenty of clues coming your way.
Ramses de Teillee, trained by David Pipe, is the 8/1 favourite for the race and he is one of those entered in the National as well. The seven-year-old's most recent outing came when the length and a quarter runner-up in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow.
The Pond House trainer has also entered Daklondike (10/1), successful here earlier in the season in the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase over two miles and seven furlongs and the Aintree regular Vieux Lion Rouge (20/1).
The Warren Greatrex-trained Missed Approach landed the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles at last year’s Cheltenham betting Festival.
He has made one appearance so far this season, coming home sixth behind Walk In The Mill in the Becher Chase at Aintree in December.
The nine-year-old holds entries in both the Trial, for which he is a 12/1 chance, and the Grand National for which he is quoted at 40/1.
Venetia Williams’ Yala Enki (12/1) was the wide-margin winner of this race last year and holds entries at both venues this year. Yala Enki was third in the Welsh Grand National last time out.
The Grand National Trial is also on the radar for One For Arthur (25/1), the 2017 Grand National winner. The 10-year-old, who missed last season because of injury, unseated four fences from home in the Peter Marsh Chase when he was beginning to run on.
One For Arthur’s trainer Lucinda Russell has a good record in the race with three successes to her name and she could also be represented by Big River (20/1), an impressive winner of the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase at Kelso last season.
The weights for the Grand National Trial will be revealed this Wednesday (6th February) while the weights for the actual Grand National will be available on February 12th.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
