Taurus Grand National Horses

The Jonjo O’Neill gelding was made favourite for the Grand National after finishing third to Corach Rambler in the Ultima Chase of 2023 but was later ruled out of the National that year.  He was then prominent again in the betting for Aintree after finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup later that year when finishing a good third to Datsalrightgino and Mahler Mission. Two subsequent disappointing runs meant he didn’t head to Aintree that year either but all systems appear on course for the Grand National this year.  Monbeg Genius finished second on his reappearance at Haydock this season and then made a really good showing in the Welsh National when fourth on ground that was probably too soft for him. He followed that up with an excellent win at Uttoxeter where he was a comfortable five length victor from Famous Bridge which was his first win for over two years. The Racing Post Ratings team were very impressed with his win at Uttoxeter and rated it his best run to date over fences. There could be a question mark about if he has the prerequisite fight in his belly in a tight finish but he certainly ticks a lot of boxes for the big race in that he goes there in good form, can perform on most ground conditions and has proven his stamina in a Welsh National. As well as that, his trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, has already won an Aintree Grand National with Don’t Push It in 2010. Monbeg Genius appeals as a good value each-way chance for the 2025 Grand National.

Scottish National winner Macdermott would be a fascinating runner if he makes the final field for the 2025 Grand National but it looks highly unlikely there will be enough withdrawals at the confirmation stage for him to make the race. The WIllie Mullins trained gelding was a game winner at Ayr last season and all his three career wins have come in April so his lack of form so far this season would not necessarily be a negative. If Macdermott does make the National this year he’s likely to be a very well-backed outsider.

Nick Rockett heads to Aintree on the back of two fine wins: the 50k Thyestes Chase and then the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse, which has often been the stepping stone to Grand National victories. A Grade Two winner over hurdles, much was expected of his first year over fences but this son of Walk In The Park only managed to get his head in front once last season. Willie Mullins’ charge did record some good performances in top handicaps, most notably when third behind stablemate Minella Cocooner in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Nick Rockett appeared to need the run when a promising fourth at 25/1 in the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas but his form has stepped up considerably since then. In the Bobbyjo he was receiving three pounds from Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles but the conditions of the Fairyhouse greatly favoured him and that same horse will be a huge fifteen pounds better off if they both line-up at Aintree.  If Nick Rockett does line-up in the Grand National he will face a tough task as he will only have two horses above him the weights at most and would run from a mark eleven pounds higher than his last handicap run, the victory in the Thyestes.

Kandoo Kid appears to be the top choice from Paul Nicholls’ five runners as stable jockey Harry Cobden has elected to ride him.  The nine-year-old gelding has already proved himself over the National fences when third in the Topham Chase last April and that run can be marked up further as he lost a shoe during the race. That was Kandoo Kid’s last run of the season and Nicholls aimed him at the red-hot Coral Cup Handicap at Newbury for his fist run back of 24/25 where he was well backed and ran out a good winner, collecting over £142,000.  It appears that Nicholls has been minding Kandoo Kid’s handicap mark since then with only one run over an inadequate 2m 5f trip where he returned well beaten.  This son of Kapgarde has run useful races on all manner of underfoot conditions from good to firm through to heavy so he should be adaptable to whatever going arrives at Aintree but his best run (Coral Gold Cup) was achieved on good to soft conditions.  Stamina for four miles plus would have to be taken on trust as the furthest he has run up to now is twenty-six furlongs but his half-sister Starlet Du Mesnil did finish placed in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris which is run over 3m 6f so connections will be hopeful that stamina will not be an issue. Trainer Paul Nicholls won the Grand National with another grey, Neptune Collonges, in 2012 but his twenty-five runners since then have failed to make the frame. 

Gavin Cromwell will be hoping that the great record in the Grand National of horses who have run in Cross Country races will continue in 2025 as Stumptown and Vanillier are among the best around currently in that field. Stumptown doesn’t fit the profile of most cross-country horses as he is only eight-years-old and most runners in that field tend to be ten and over. He’s won four out of five of his attempts over the banks, including the recent Glenfarclas Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival.  Stumptown has also won two good traditional handicap chases at Cheltenham in 2024 so he certainly has a progressive profile. The worry for Stumptown’s supporters is that the British handicapper has pushed him up to a rating of 157 for the Grand National which is ten pounds higher than his last win in a traditional handicap.  Another possible concern could be that the last three times Stumptown has contested the very top level traditional handicaps (Irish National, Coral Gold Cup and the Ultima Chase) he has pulled up every time. 

Earlier this season it looked as if Perceval Legallois was becoming disappointing after going off as favourite in two big Irish handicaps only to return home well beaten. Those defeats in the Galway Plate and the Listowel National meant he was allowed to go off at 17/2 for the big Irish Christmas handicap chase; the Paddy Power at Leopardstown. This time though the real Perceval Legallois turned up and he came home an easy seven-length winner of a handicap worth nearly €100,000.  Trainer Gavin Cromwell then spotted an opportunity for Perceval Legallois to exploit his handicap mark over hurdles which was now eighteen pounds lower than his chase mark after that big win at Leopardstown. Cromwell aimed his charge back at the Dublin track again but this time at a €59,000 listed handicap hurdle. The punting public probably saw this as a run-out to protect his chase handicap from the attentions of the British Grand National handicapper but Cromwell had the eight-year-old fully tuned and he handled the return to hurdles brilliantly coming home a comfortable winner again.  Cromwell seems to now have turned his attention to the Grand National for this horse where he would have to race from an eleven pounds higher mark than his last chase win at Christmas. This son of Ballingarry has never raced further than three miles so the step up to four miles plus would have to be taken on trust but horses who win at three miles over hurdles usually tend to stay further over fences.  Another issue to be considered by anyone thinking of backing this horse for AIntree is the wealth of riches JP McManus has in the staying chaser department. With so many stayers at his disposal, McManus looks sure to divert some of his battalion to the Irish National at Fairyhouse, which is two weeks after Aintree this year. If Perceval Legallois does head to Aintree the question mark would probably be if his win in the Paddy Power has scuppered his chance of winning a Grand National.