The 2024 Grand National is tomorrow and for many that means it is time to start the process of finding the winner.
The winning horse will obviously have to stay but it can be no coincidence that two novice chasers, therefore potentially unexposed to the handicapper, have won recently. Rule The World (2016) had never won a chase while Noble Yeats (2022) had been campaigned, for the most part, over distances we now know were way too short for him.
Last year’s winner Corach Rambler entered the race incredibly well handicapped at 10st 5lbs and cruised to victory in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival, meaning his rating had jumped by another 10lb by the time the tapes went up at Aintree.
This year, he is in a similar position following a third-placed finish in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In truth, picking a Grand National winner does require as much good fortune as it does good research but even with that in mind, Telegraph Sport will do its utmost to find you a winner.
For the full list of runners in this year’s Grand National, read our horse-by-horse guide. And if you’re running a competition between friends or colleagues, download our sweepstake kit for the 2024 edition.
Marcus Armytage’s tipHaving been a big fan of I Am Maximus in the build-up to the the 176th Randox Grand National I have, rightly or wrongly, deserted him late on. He is a skinny price, has his own way of doing things but, above all, he has 11st 6lbs and, though he will love the testing conditions, I have a feeling this will be a National for the lightweights.
His stable companion, Meetingofthewaters, has a modern National profile of rapidly improving chaser, good form and a good weight but I keep being drawn back to Latenightpass who combines course form, good winter form winning a cross-country chase at Cheltenham, and a heart-warming story.
It may be his trainer Tom Ellis’s first runner as a professional trainer but he is no mug having been champion point-to-point trainer five times while his wife, Gina Andrews, is arguably more experienced than a lot of her professional counterparts.
Adamantly Chosen is a good each-way shot after his recent Down Royal win, while Corach Rambler, last year’s winner, can return to finish in the top four again.
Marcus’ top four:
LatenightpassMeetingofthewatersAdamantly ChosenCorach RamblerTelegraph Sport’s tipsLatenightpass at 28/1
Celebrity tipsBob Champion: I Am Maximus – He stays, he jumps and he’ll love the ground’
Sir Anthony McCoy: I Am Maximus – Maybe I’ve been watching too much Gladiator but he’s won an Irish National and will love the ground.
Damien West, actor: Galia Des Liteaux – She might be a bit slow but she will keep going all day in the mud.
What are the weights for the Grand National and what do they mean?The Grand National is a handicap, meaning horses will carry different weights depending on their ability. The top-rated runner in the race will carry a weight of 11st 12lb, with the lowest-rated carrying 10st 2lb.
Unlike normal handicaps which are completely tied to official ratings, the Grand National is assessed as a standalone contest by the BHA handicappers. They have the job of merging the ratings of British and Irish challengers into one field. Official ratings carry huge weight in these deliberations but factors such as course form and previous Grand National performance also come into this assessment.
The weights for this year’s race were announced on February 20 and will be fixed until the race is run. This means rises or falls in a horse’s official rating have no impact upon the weight they carry in the Grand National – something that Corach Rambler took advantage of in last year’s race.
Stay ahead of the curve with our carefully sourced Grand National betting offers for 2024, find them all here along with Grand National tips and odds to help you through the week
