Gavin Cromwell’s William Hill blog: Quick turnaround a concern for Stumptown and Vanillier

William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell provides an update on his Grand National chances and other runners Aintree this week.

Thursday & Friday, Aintree

As it stands, it looks like we’ll have two runners across the first two days at Aintree. Hello Neighbour won’t run in the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle because I think he just needs a little bit longer between his races. He’ll be aimed at Punchestown.

We’d love to see a bit more of a gap between Cheltenham and Aintree, but it is what it is. We’ll have a few runners this week that also ran at the Festival, but they’re just going to have to take their chance.

One who will hopefully run on Thursday is My Mate Mozzie in the Red Rum Chase (4:40 pm). The drying ground will be ideal for him, so hopefully, he can run another big race.

We have two entered in the Topham on Friday (4:05 pm), although Tyre Kicker is unlikely to get a run. The King Of Prs is set to go, though, and he’ll travel over on Tuesday. The step up in trip should suit him fine on better ground, and he’s been in good form. We’ve been schooling over the National fences, and he’s one I’ve been particularly impressed with in that work—he took to them well.

Quick turnaround a concern for Stumptown and Vanillier

We’re set to have three runners in the Grand National on Saturday (4:00 pm), with Velvet Elvis coming out at the final stage. He wants ease in the ground, and he’ll be aimed at the Irish Grand National now.

Stumptown performed really well at Cheltenham, and if he can back that up, then he certainly has a chance. Whether it’s a favourite’s chance, though, I’m not too sure. He’ll certainly take to the fences well, and he dealt with better ground well at Cheltenham. That said, the pace of the Grand National will be a lot different, and I’d be slightly concerned as to whether he’ll be able to keep up.

We’ll have the blinkers on Stumptown, and they seemed to do the trick with Vanillier as well. He also ran well at Cheltenham, and he seems in good form. He’s off the same mark as he was when finishing second here a couple of years ago, which certainly gives us hope that he could run well.

The short gap between their runs at Cheltenham and the National is always going to be a concern because you’re in unknown territory, really, and you’re taking a bit of a chance.

Perceval Legallois ready for a big run

Perceval Legallois has had a longer break than the rest of them, having been off the track since the Dublin Racing Festival. He goes well fresh, so that is definitely a positive. He’s never run over this distance before, which brings a bit of an unknown element, but I don’t see any reason why he won’t stay. He’s been in good form at home.

As far as I know, the plan is for Mark Walsh to ride him, with Paul Townend sticking with I Am Maximus.

William Hill are the Official Betting Partner of the Grand National