Barry Geraghty

Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Iroko can prove best in the National

5 months ago

| BY Barry Geraghty

William Hill ambassador picks out his best bets in each of the seven races on Grand National Day from Aintree, including his top four for the National itself.

Aintree, Saturday

The opening William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle (1:20pm) looks wide-open and the one I like is CATCH HIM DERRY. He ran really well in the Pertemps at Cheltenham despite having a lot of ground to make up on the first two after jumping the second last. That was a big effort, and he could have more to come, despite being up a few pounds for that. They didn’t go an overly strong gallop at Cheltenham, so I think a stronger pace in this will suit him and he’s got a longer home straight here to hopefully work his way into a challenging position.

LULAMBA is definitely the one to beat in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (1:55pm). It was a great run in the Triumph when he was unlucky just to run into a completely unexposed rival who had some high-class Flat form to his name. Nicky [Henderson] has mentioned that this step up in trip to two-and-a-half miles is the way they wanted to go, so to me that’s a real vote of confidence. The new trip gives the potential for more improvement, and I think Lulamba can prove the classiest in this field.

Next up is the William Hill Handicap Chase (2:30pm). I’m taking a line of form through the Ultima runner-up The Changing Man, with DOCPICKEDME. He beat The Changing Man at Doncaster in the Great Yorkshire Chase when last seen and has only gone up four pounds for that. Doncaster, like Aintree, is a flat track so conditions should suit him.

We’ve been told all season that Teahupoo needs time between his races so I’m a bit surprised to see him line up in the Liverpool Hurdle (3:05pm) so soon after Cheltenham. Last year’s winner, Strong Leader, would have a chance, but to me HOME BY THE LEE is the one to be on. He was hampered and unseated early on at Cheltenham but had good form before that, when a taking winner at Leopardstown, beating Stayers’ Hurdle winner Bob Olinger. I think a repetition of that form should be good enough. Willie’s [Mullins] runner Kitzbuhel is very interesting here stepping up from two to three miles and is the unknown quantity in the race.

The Grand National (4:00pm) isn’t the challenge it once was but it’s still a brilliant spectacle and there’s great depth to this year’s renewal. IROKO is still my first choice as I think he’s the best handicapped horse in the race. He brings a very good level of form from last season when he was second to Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin at Aintree. I think he will improve from his recent outing behind Grey Dawning at Kelso, and he’s the one I’d want to be on.

VANILLIER is a horse that has been showing much better form this season than he did last campaign. He has plenty of course experience over the National fences, so I think he’s a horse with a big shout.

Another horse that looks to have been trained for this race is Gordon Elliott’s THREE CARD BRAG. He raced too prominently in a big handicap at Leopardstown over Christmas, when finishing behind Perceval Legallois, and I think he’ll be ridden with a bit more restraint here. He has been a good winner at Navan since then and shapes as though he will love this trip.

BRAVEMANSGAME is down to a mark of 155 from a high of 172. He finished second to Hewick in the King George of 2023 and he gets seven pounds from that rival in this race. He’s a class horse at his best, and he should love this trip and the fences so I can see him running a big race.

There’s Grade 1 action after the National with the Maghull Novices’ Chase (5:00pm). There was very little between L’EAU DU SUD and Only By Night in the Arkle at Cheltenham. I think L’Eau Du Sud will love it around a flat track like Aintree and he’d be the one for me.

I’m going to side with an outsider in the bumper (5:35pm). Ben Pauling’s OUR BOY STAN beat a nice horse of the Skelton’s called Moneygarrow on his last start at Kempton, and that rival had finished behind the highly regarded Windbeneathmywings at Ascot the time before. To me that looks among the best form in this race, and he’s my idea of a good each-way play in what looks a tricky finale to Aintree’s three days.