Yellow Grand National Horses

Eldorado Allen finished second to Shishkin in the Arkle three years ago and then went on to win the Haldon Gold Cup that year after but since then connections have tried to make him into a staying chaser. He did win a Denman chase at Newbury beating the likes of Royal Pagaille and Clan Des Obeaux but was probably flattered by those two chasers under performing.  Since that Newbury victory Eldorado Allen has run thirteen times without winning but has run some decent races in defeat, notably finishing second in a Charlie Hall Chase and a Betfair Chase. The highlight of this season was finishing fourth to Datsalrightgino in the prestigious Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.  Despite the good runs at around three miles, the suspicion remains that Eldorado Allen probably finds that sort of distance stretching his stamina. The ten-year-old’s supporters will point to the fact that he is a half-brother to the Enda Bolger trained Auvergnat who won a cross-country race over four miles and one furlong but the bulk of Eldorado Allen’s form seems to suggest he is unlikely to see out the distance of a Grand National. 

Galia Des Liteaux looks to be a lively contender for the Grand National and will surely be trained to the minute as Dan Skelton looks to try and gain every bit of prize money he can in his bid to become champion trainer.  This eight-year-old mare has only run once in a handicap so far but that run was a cracker when just failing to catch My Silver Lining when trying to give that horse 20lb in the 3m 5f Classic Chase at Warwick. The winner that day has gone on to run two further excellent races when second in the Grand National trial at Haydock and then a close up third in the Midlands National so the form of the Warwick race looks very strong. My Silver Lining is now 11lb higher than at Warwick. Dan Skelton has always said that Galia Des Liteaux needs soft ground to be at her best and three of her four wins have come on soft or heavy ground. The question mark against this mare’s chance at Aintree would have to be her most recent run at Exeter in a listed Mares race where she disappointed when an odds-on favourite.  It’s difficult to be conclusive as to why she disappointed at Exeter. Perhaps she had a much harder race than the trainer thought at Warwick and hadn’t properly recovered? Perhaps she doesn’t enjoy an undulating track such as Exeter (four runs on undulating tracks have seen her return figures of 3514 with the win an odds-on victory in a very uncompetitive race).  Given her progressive profile (apart from Exeter), stamina at 3m 5f, excellent stable form and her liking for soft ground (which looks likely at Aintree) she makes lots of appeal for the Grand National at odds of around 50/1 (as of 2nd April).