Grand National 2024: Your runner-by-runner guide to the race

Ahead of the 2024 Grand National, check out our horse-by-horse guide to Saturday's Grand National before picking his 1-2-3-4-5 at the end of the article.. Each horse has been given a rating out of 10.

1. Conflated - 290/1

A former Irish Gold Cup winner in 2022. His effort in 3rd in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup gives hope he’ll stay but any stamina doubts will be put to the test by carrying top weight here on the testing ground. He has a place chance at best. He looks set to skip the race and run in the Melting Chase on Friday instead.

Rating: 3/10

2. Noble Yeats - 24/1

A shock winner of this race in 2022 at 50/1, he returned 12 months later to finish an excellent 4th off a 19lb higher mark, giving plenty of weight to the front two of Coach Rambler and Vanillier. He’s been campaigned over hurdles to good effect this season by the ultra shrewd Emmet Mullins. Weight stops trains though and he’s likely to find one or two too good again. No horse since Red Rum 49 years ago has regained his title after being beaten the previous season.

5/10

3. Nassalam - 20/1

Mud lover who destroyed his rivals in the Welsh National in December. The Handicapper hasn’t taken any chances and hit him with a 15lb rise and with it goes his chance of winning this. Young conditional jockey Caolin Quinn is set to ride after recovering from a broken collarbone. I struggle to see him having the class despite conditions set to be in his favour.

5/10

4. Coko Beach - 31/1

Unlike many of these, he is a horse who is thriving and arrives here having enjoyed a fantastic season. As a result however, he finds himself very high in the handicap and although it would be no surprise to see him put in a National best, having been 8th in 2022 and pulled-up last year, it’s hard to see him winning here off 161.

6/10

5. Capodanno - 35/1

His victory in the Cotswold Chase in January hasn’t worked out very well in the form book and he didn’t look a natural in this race last year off a lower mark. Would be a surprise winner.

3/10

6. I Am Maximus - 17/2

He has been steadily supported in the last 10 days with testing conditions set to be in his favour. He is an unorthodox jumper and a sketchy traveller but he has bundles of stamina. His tendency to jump violently left might cause him some problems but the slightly smaller than usual field will help. He looks well found in the market now for all he has clear claims.

7/10

7. Minella Indo - 33/1

One of the veterans in the race having won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 2021. He tends to like to go his own speed these days and the slower ground will help him. He will be partnered by Rachael Blackmore, one of only four jockeys riding in the race to have won the Grand National. I think you’ll know your fate early with him but if he gets into a good rhythm, he’s classy enough and has stamina.

6/10

8. Corach Rambler - 6/1

He is a freak of a racehorse who cruised through last year’s race and won with plenty in hand, or so it seemed! The main worry with him is how hard a race he had in the Gold Cup four weeks ago, but he is trained by a pair of Aintree geniuses and he undoubtedly rates a likely winner.

9/10

9. Janidil - 200/1

He’s shown nothing of late to suggest he can be competitive here.

1/10

10. Stattler - 64/1

I thought he looked the perfect National type after he won the National Hunt Chase in 2022 but he hasn’t really built on that performance since. He also hasn’t looked nearly as effective on softer ground and his owner has cast doubt over his participation unless the ground has some good in the description which seems a long shot. If he does line up, he’s a classy type who could be unexposed on this trip.

7/10

11. Mahler Mission - 18/1

He is a bold jumper who has proven he can handle big field handicaps. He ran a cracker behind Datsalrightgino in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on his last start and his trainer reported he lost two shoes. Yet to prove his stamina but he still looks quite unexposed and he is hard to rule out.

7/10

12. Delta Work - 24/1

Sent off at 10/1 and 11/1 respectively the last two years, he’s currently over double the price this year and it makes absolutely zero sense to me. In 2022, carrying 11-9 and on ground that was much too quick for him, he made a huge move to challenge Noble Yeats going down to the last but just paid for that late on, conceding nearly a stone to the winner. Last year, carrying 11-4 on ground that was too quick again, he made an error at the second when short of room and then was a slightly unfortunate unseat when travelling really well on the second circuit. He finally has conditions in his favour and despite not having a spin in the Cross Country like last year, he arrives here fresh which could help his stamina last home. He is undoubtedly one of the classy horses in the race and if he gets round, it’s hard to see him not going very close.

10/10

13. Foxy Jacks - 74/1

His best form is on better ground and he got punished hard by the handicapper for winning over the cross country fences at Cheltenham in November. He can jump out to his right too. Hard to be confident.

3/10

14. Galvin - 74/1

He ran well behind Delta Work on soft in last year’s Cross Country at Cheltenham but he’s undoubtedly more effective on better ground. Owner has stated he’s unlikely to run unless it dries up markedly.

4/10

15. Farouk D’Alene - 94/1

He’s very lightly raced having had his fair share of issues. He was in the process of running a huge race in grueling conditions in the 2022 Brown Advisory behind L’Homme Presse and I think he could be slightly underestimated here.

6/10

16. Eldorado Allen - 109/1

It would be some training performance to get him back after a hugely disappointing effort in the Ultima at Cheltenham where his trainer said he made a respiratory noise. He doesn’t tend to travel well enough for a race like this and he’s best watched.

3/10

17. Ain’t That A Shame - 69/1

Fantastic effort to rally after the last to win the Thyestes under Rachael Blackmore in January. He was hit with an 8lb raise as a result and now races off a much higher weight than when beaten a distance in last year’s race (was well supported before the off). It’d be great to see David Maxwell in the winners’ enclosure but his booking is a negative compared to Blackmore and he rates as an unlikely winner.

4/10

18. Vanillier - 21/2

He was my selection last year and I’ve only recently been able to face watching the race back. It’s still very painful to see how far back he was and how close he got to Corach Rambler at the finish. He very much does things at his own pace and I think he would prefer better ground but he stays all day and the handicapper has been very lenient with him . He has to come into calculations again.

8/10

19. Mr Incredible - 13/1

I can’t quite believe how short this horse is in the market. I must be missing something? His jumping throughout last year’s National was poor and he is not an easy ride. He ran well in the Midlands National on similar ground to what he’ll encounter on Saturday but he had a hard race and he represents poor value at 12/1.

4/10

20. Run Wild Fred - 180/1

It’s incredible to think he was sent off at 8/1 for the 2022 Grand National. He doesn’t stay this trip and he appears to just be making up the numbers.

2/10

21. Latenightpass - 29/1

He has run well over the National fences twice here. He won the 2022 Foxhunters and ran another fine race last year but has jumped out to the right on both occasions. He sprinted clear of his rivals in a Cross Country race at Cheltenham in December and stamina should be no issue but just might lack the class to get involved in the finish.

5/10

22. Minella Crooner - 189/1

His record in four races with 10 or more runners reads PPPP. He does have form when beating I Am Maximus back in 2022 but there isn’t much recently that gives you any hope for him.

2/10

23. Adamantly Chosen - 47/1

2lbs well in after a dominant performance a few weeks ago. He’s one of six potential seven-year-olds in the race and barring Noble Yeats in 2022, no seven-year-old has won the National since 1940. He clearly relishes soft ground, jumps well and is thoroughly unexposed as a stayer. It’s rare for a Willie Mullins horse to be flying under the radar but he could represent some value.

8/10

24. Mac Tottie - 79/1

He has yet to prove his stamina beyond 3-miles. The Peter Bowen yard have had a quiet time of things in 2024 but this horse clearly comes alive at Aintree having won the Topham in 2022 and a Veterans Chase in December. He jumps well and could outrun his odds but it’s hard to imagine him winning.

4/10

25. Chemical Energy - 69/1

He would certainly appreciate the ground drying out as he’s a fine moving horse. The lack of a run for over 200 days is also a concern but he is unexposed. He won’t be carrying my money.

4/10

26. Limerick Lace - 18/1

The choice of Mark Walsh, Limerick Lace is a fantastic jumper who equipped herself well when thrown into the deep-end in the Troytown and finished 2nd behind Coko Beach. She’s 6lbs well in after her impressive Mares’ Chase win at Cheltenham last month but this is a really tough test for a seven-year-old mare.

7/10

27. Meetingofthewaters - 19/2

I’m surprised he’s been overlooked by both Paul Townend and Mark Walsh as I thought he looked a stayer full of promise at Cheltenham in the Ultima having just been a bit keen early on. That prep run will likely have brought him on and he looks very uncomplicated for a race like this. I can see him giving Danny Mullins a very enjoyable spin round.

8/10

28. The Goffer - 60/1

He has looked a blatant non-stayer in the Ultima this year and last and It’s hard to see a world where he gets involved.

3/10

29. Roi Mage - 37/1

He ran a huge race to be seventh last year and he returns off a 2lb lower mark. However, he is now 12 and it’s hard to see him improving enough to win.

4/10

30. Glengouly - 94/1

He showed plenty of toughness to challenge Ain’t That A Shame on heavy ground at Gowran in January but I’d be concerned he can stay this extended National trip.

4/10

31. Galia Des Liteaux - 27/1

She will relish the soft ground and was staying on well in the Classic Chase at Warwick in January. She ran with credit in Grade 1s last season but she just doesn’t strike me as a Grand National winner in waiting.

5/10

32. Panda Boy - 14/1

He’s not a horse that enjoys winning but he’s run well in plenty of big field handicaps and gets an 11lb pull with Meetingofthewaters. His trainer Martin Brasil is as shrewd as they come and he won this race in 2006 but he has repeatedly stated that he’d be prefer better ground. He can’t be totally ruled out.

7/10

33. Eklat De Ride - 120/1

I fancied him to run a big race at Cheltenham but he showed very little and there’s nothing to suggest he’ll show the form required to get involved.

2/10

34. Chambard - 69/1

He won the Becher Chase in December on heavy ground but he has disappointed badly on his last two starts and at the age of 12, I can’t see him having enough in what looks a high quality renewal of the race.

4/10

35. Kitty’s Light - 16/1

This would undoubtedly be the story of the race if he were to win with it being a year on from his trainer’s daughter Betsy’s diagnosis with leukaemia. He has proven time and time again he loves a big-field staying chase but he is definitely a better jumper on drier ground and that’s enough to put me off.

6/10

Not Guaranteed A Run

Malina Girl

If she gets in, she’ll join Limerick Lace from the Gavin Cromwell yard as another seven-year-old mare in the race. She jumps and stays well having won the Ulster National a year ago and she could run into a place if all goes well but it’s a tough race for a mare of her age.

6/10

How will they finish?

1. Delta Work 24/1
2. Corach Rambler 6/1
3. Meetingofthewaters 19/2
4. Adamantly Chosen 47/1
5. Vanilier 21/2

Latest Grand National Odds