Horses For Courses

If ever there was a truism in racing that applied to the Grand National it is this one.  Horses that have run well at Aintree tend to do so time and time again.  Whether it is winners returning to defend their crown or placed horses finishing in the frame on multiple occasions, if they take to the big National fences, chances are they will light up when visiting the place again.

Previous winners may struggle to repeat their success due to carrying extra weight (only Red Rum has done so in the post-war era), but they often manage to get in the money more than once, with Gay Trip, Corbiere, West Tip, Party Politics, Papillon, Monty’s Pass, Hedgehunter, Comply or Die and Don't Push It all following up their win with a placed effort the following year.

Red Alligator, L’Escargot, Hallo Dandy and Amberleigh House won after being placed previously (L'Escargot was placed twice and won the race on his fourth attempt), while Eyecatcher, Rough and Tumble, Greasepaint, Durham Edition, Suny Bay, Blowing Wind, Clan Royal, State of Play, Cappa Bleu and Oscar Time were all placed more than once.

This bodes very well for Teaforthree, who fared best of last year's runners returning for another bid when finishing a gallant third.  And the veteran Swing Bill will be hoping to improve on his 10th and 6th placed finishes in the last two renewals, just as Amberleigh House did in his twilight years at the third attempt.

The Becher Chase has also been an excellent pointer in recent years, run over the same fences at Aintree's autumn meeting.  This has produced two winners in the last decade, Amberleigh House and Silver Birch, as well as dual runner up Clan Royal.  Good news then for Chance Du Roy, who won this season's renewal.

But it is not just form over the famous birch fences that counts; other recent winners have also had success elsewhere at the Grand National meeting.  Both Don't Push It and Mon Mome had both previously scored handicap chase wins at Aintree, while Auroras Encore won a handicap hurdle at the course earlier in his career.

In other words 50% of Grand National winners in the last ten years had already won at Aintree!  So it has to be worthwhile listing the nine horses that have winning form at the course:

Tidal Bay - three times course winner, two novice chase wins (incl. Gr1) and a Gr2 novice hurdle
Triolo D'Alene - winner of the 2013 Topham Chase over the National fences
Quito De La Roque - winner of a Grade Two novice chase in 2011
Walkon - winner of a Grade One novice hurdle in 2009
Wayward Prince - winner of a Listed chase in 2012
Battle Group - three times course winner, Listed handicap chase in 2013 and two handicap hurdles
Prince de Beauchene - winner of Listed handicap chase in 2011
Burton Port - winner of a Grade Two novice chase in 2010
Chance Du Roy - winner of 2013 Becher Chase

The multiple course winners, Tidal Bay and Battle Group, are particularly interesting - especially as the latter won the same contest last season that Don't Push It landed en route to his Grand National victory.  This is also the race that Prince de Beauchene won three years ago, which marked him out as a future National type, but injury in the last two seasons has forced him to miss the race when heading the ante-post betting.

Given the old 'horses for courses' adage, we would be wise to give added weight to the chances of any of these horses if they appear on the final trends shortlist.