Sam Twiston-Davies’ William Hill Blog: Grand National has always been the end goal for Beauport 

William Hill ambassador Sam Twiston-Davies previews his rides on the three days of Aintree’s Grand National Festival.

The Grand National has always been a hugely important race for me and my family. My dad was incredibly lucky to win it twice—first with Earth Summit in 1998 and then with Bindaree in 2002. It’s one of the toughest races to win, so to have done it twice is something really special.

It’s also a race that captures the attention of so many people, both at Aintree and watching on TV. The atmosphere is always electric, and Liverpool does a fantastic job of drawing in great crowds. It’s brilliant to see so many people coming together to enjoy the racing and just have a great time.

Thursday, Aintree

I have one ride on Thursday at Aintree—Rath Gaul Hill (4.40pm) in the Handicap Chase. He’s had a fantastic season, going for a four-timer now. His third win at Newbury was his first run back after a break, and he did well to get his head in front again. That form has actually worked out well, with his stablemate Ballybreeze—who finished third that day—going on to win at Newbury since.

He’s running out of the handicap here, but he’s a strong traveller and a tidy jumper. A fast-run two miles around Aintree should suit him, and while this is a tougher race, it’s definitely worth a go. 

Friday, Aintree

On Friday, Lounge Lizard (4.05pm) takes his chance in the Topham. He’s already shown he handles these fences well, running a big race in the Becher in 2023. He battled on strongly to win last time out, and Henry Daly was keen to run him in this race last year, but unfortunately he wasn’t quite right on the day. Hopefully he can get to the front and put in another strong performance.

My other ride on Friday is Crest Of Fortune (4.40pm) for Anthony Honeyball in the Sefton. He won well at Ayr last time and is a novice hurdler very much on the up. He battled on well that day, and I think the step up in trip will suit him. It’s a competitive race, but hopefully he can put in a big run.

Saturday, Aintree

This year, I’m really excited to be riding Beauport in the Grand National (4.00pm). From the moment he won the Berkshire National at Ascot—formerly the London National—the plan was always to aim for Aintree. He went up plenty in the handicap after that win, but in a way, that worked out perfectly as it meant he could take his chance here. Since then, he’s had two runs over hurdles to keep him sharp, and everything has been geared towards this race as his main target.

My approach is simple—it’s just another race. You go in with a plan, but you have to be ready to adapt because things can change in an instant. The key is getting a good start and a bit of luck along the way. Beauport is the right type of horse for the National; he’s an economical jumper, he stays the trip well, and he’s straightforward to ride.

As for positioning, a good start is always important. Ideally, he’ll be up in a prominent position because sometimes being stuck behind too many horses can make things tricky. But at the end of the day, you just have to ride the race as it unfolds and hope everything falls into place.

I’ve also got Brookie (5.00pm) running in the novice chase on Saturday. It’s obviously a tough task, but you’re only a novice once, and the prize money makes it well worth a shot.

Then there’s Crackerjacque (5.35pm) in the bumper—he won well last time out and has a fantastic attitude. Ideally, the ground would be a bit slower, but he’s got a great way of going and is definitely one to watch for the future. Anthony Honeyball has a great record in bumpers so hopefully we can add to that here.