Mark Walsh will try to make it a lucky 13th attempt to win the Randox Aintree Grand National when he teams up with Perceval Legallois on Saturday.
JP McManus’s No 1 rider in Ireland has had a dozen previous rides in the Liverpool spectacular and got closest to success when Any Second Now was runner-up to Noble Yeats in 2022.
A year previously the same horse was third to Minella Times after being badly hampered at the 12th fence. Walsh was also third on his first spin in 2009 on board Reveillez.
With Paul Townend retaining the ride on last year’s winner I Am Maximus, Walsh is set to team up with Perceval Legallois from the ultra-strong McManus team lining up in the Aintree spectacular.
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The 39-year-old jockey goes to Liverpool on the back of Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham last month on Inothewayurthinkin, following which Walsh joked: “Every young lad dreams of winning the Gold Cup and the Grand National – I’m after getting one so I’ll have to get the Grand National next!”
It also gives him an opportunity to complete jump racing’s unofficial Triple Crown at the weekend. Walsh has a Champion Hurdle victory under his belt with Espoir d’Allen in 2019.
Some of the great names of the sport such as Richard Dunwoody, AP McCoy and Ruby Walsh have pulled off the hat-trick. More recently Rachael Blackmore has done the same, while Townend managed it all in one go last year.
However, other renowned figures such as John Francome and Pat Taaffe have come up short. Legendary Englishman Fred Winter is the only one to ride and train the winners of all three races.
Gavin Cromwell also saddles the fancied pair Stumptown and Vanillier in Saturday’s National, both of which ran at Cheltenham, although he has kept Perceval Legallois for a National tilt.
“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 said.
“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.”
Six of the top seven in ante-post betting are trained in Ireland. Only the McManus-owned Iroko figures towards the top of the betting for the home team.
A total of 30 Grand National winners have been trained in Ireland and Irish-trained horses have been successful a dozen times in the last 25 years.
They include a hat-trick for Gordon Elliott, who will try to join a trio of Englishmen to have trained a record four Grand National winners. They include Ginger McCain, who saddled the legendary Red Rum to win three times.
Elliott prepared Tiger Roll to win back-to-back in 2018-19 and burst to prominence in 2007 with Silver Birch’s success.
The Co Meath trainer has four horses guaranteed a spot in the maximum 34-runner field in advance of Thursday’s final declaration. With stable jockey Jack Kennedy ruled out for the rest of the season through injury, Elliott has snapped up Sean Bowen for Three Card Brag.
“I’ve enjoyed plenty of luck riding for Gordon and Max McNeill [owner], so I think a conversation took place between Gordon and Max, and both were keen for me to ride Three Card Brag, which I was very grateful for,” Bowen said.
“I’ve not ridden him before, but he’s been trained for the race, and there is no better man than Gordon to aim a horse at the National – his record in the race speaks for itself.
“He will get in the race off a lovely looking weight, he seems to jump well, and he stays well, so he should go into the race with a chance,” added Britain’s champion jockey-elect.
Before Thursday’s start to the Aintree festival, Wednesday’s domestic action is on the flat in Gowran where the concluding conditions race contains eight runners rated 95 and over.
Dermot Weld’s Romzina has a task on figures but should be open to significant improvement, having had just three runs to date.
