Grand National 2017 Weights Released

The big wait is over, we now have the full list of Grand National weights for the 2017 renewal of the most prestigious handicap in the world. ITV Racing anchor Ed Chamberlain is very confident that he and his crew are going to do a fantastic job covering the showpiece in April and said “We promise to do the great race justice”. Chief handicapper, who has a thankless and very tough job it has to be said, reckons horses’ with a rating of 144 or higher should get a run in the race. We move on and we list the Grand National weights 2017, splitting them up into blocks of 10.

Numbers 1-10

1 OUTLANDER –  (11-10) Gordon Elliott IRE

2 CHAMPAGNE WEST – (11-09) Henry De Bromhead IRE

3 EMPIRE OF DIRT – (11-08) Gordon Elliott IRE

4 DON POLI – (11-07) Gordon Elliott IRE

5 CARLINGFORD LOUGH – (11-06) John Kiely IRE

6 THE LAST SAMURI – (11-05) Kim Bailey

7 ALARY – (11-04) Colin Tizzard

8 ALELCHI INOIS – (11-03) Willie Mullins IRE

9 MINELLA ROCCO – (11-02) Jonjo O’Neill

10 DEVILS BRIDE – (11-01) Henry De Bromhead IRE

Numbers 11-20

11 MORE OF THAT – (11-01) Jonjo O’Neill

12 LORD SCOUNDREL – (11-00) Gordon Elliott IRE

13 PERFECT CANDIDATE – (11-00) Fergal O’Brien

14 SAPHIR DU RHEU – (11-00) Paul Nicholls

15 SHANTOU FLYER – (11-00) Rebecca Curtis

16 ROAD TO RICHES – (10-13) Noel Meade IRE

17 SAULSALITO SUNRISE – (10-13) Philip Hobbs

18 CAROLE’S DESTRIER – (10-12) Neil Mulholland

19 CLARCAM – (10-12) Gordon Elliott IRE

20 FOXROCK – (10-12) Ted Walsh IRE

Numbers 21-30

21 ROI DES FRANCS – (10-12) Gordon Elliott IRE

22 WONDERFUL CHARM – (10-11) Paul Nicholls

23 WOUNDED WARRIOR – (10-11) Noel Meade IRE

24 BLAKLION – (10-10) Nigel Twiston-Davies

25 DROP OUT JOE – (10-10) Charlie Longsdon

26 TENOR NIVERNAIS – (10-10) Venetia Williams

27 TIGER ROLL – (10-10) Gordon Elliott IRE

28 A TOI PHIL – (10-09) Gordon Elliott IRE

29 LE MERCUREY – (10-09) Paul Nicholls

30 THE GAME CHANGER – (10-09) Gordon Elliott IRE

Numbers 31 – 40

31 CAUSE OF CAUSES – (10-08) Gordon Elliott IRE

32 MAGGIO – (10-08) Patrick Griffin IRE

33 REGAL ENCORE – (10-08) Anthony Honeyball

34 THE YOUNG MASTER – (10-08) Neil Mulholland

35 DEFINITLY RED – (10-07) Brian Ellison

36 DOUBLE SHUFFLE – (10-07) Tom George

37 HOUBLON DES OBEAUX – (10-07) Venetia Williams

38 PLEASANT COMPANY – (10-07) Willie Mullins IRE

39 UCELLO CONTI – (10-07) Gordon Elliott IRE

40 VIEUX LION ROUGH – (10-07) David Pipe

Numbers 41-50

41 BALLYNAGOUR – (10-06) David Pipe

42 HIGHLAND LODGE – (10-06) James Moffatt

43 JUNCTION FOURTEEN – (10-06) Emma Lavelle

44 O’FAOLAINS BOY – (10-06) Rebecca Curtis

45 ONE FOR ARTHUR – (10-06) Lucinda Russell

46 VIVALDI COLLONGES – (10-06) Paul Nicholls

47 BISHOPS ROAD – (10-05) Kerry Lee

48 LORD WINDERMERE – (10-05) Jim Culloty IRE

49 SAINT ARE – (10-05) Tom George

50 VICENTE – (10-05) Paul Nicholls

Numbers 51-60

51 VICS CANVAS – (10-05) Dermot McLaughlin IRE

52 ZIGA BOY – (10-05) Alan King

53 JUST A PAR – (10-04) Paul Nicholls

54 MEASUREOFMYDREAMS – (10-04) Noel Meade IRE

55 RAZ DE MAREE – (10-04) Gavin Cromwell IRE

56 STELLAR NOTION – (10-04) Henry De Bromhead IRE

57 AS DE MEE – (10-03) Paul Nicholls

58 COCKTAILS AT DAWN – (10-03) Nicky Henderson

59 PENDRA – (10-03) Charlie Longsdon

60 ROGUE ANGEL – (10-03) Mouse Morris IRE

Numbers 61-70

61 SEVENTH SKY – (10-03) Charlie Mann

62 SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR – (10-03) Jonjo O’Neill

63 GAS LINE BOY – (10-02) Ian Williams

64 GOODTOKNOW – (10-02) Kerry Lee

65 THE ROMFORD PELE – (10-02) Rebecca Curtis

66 THUNDER AND ROSES – (10-02) Mouse Morris IRE

67 TRIOLO D’ALENE – (10-02) Nicky Henderson

68 VIEUX MORVAN – (10-02) Isabelle Pacault FR

69 DOCTOR HARPER – (10-01) David Pipe

70 GALLANT OSCAR – (10-01) Tony Martin

Numbers 71-80

71 LA VATICANE – (10-01) David Pipe

72 BLESS THE WINGS – (10-00) Gordon Elliott IRE

73 TOUR DES CHAMPS – (10-00) Samuel Drinkwater

74 KNOCK HOUSE – (9-13) Donald McCain

75 HARDIAN’S APPROACH – (9-12) Nicky Henderson

76 BENBENS – (9-11) Nigel Twiston-Davies

77 POTTERS CROSS – (9-11) Rebecca Curtis

78 SAMBREMONT – (9-11) Willie Mullins IRE

79 STRAIDNAHANNA – (9-11) Sue Smith

80 VIVA STEVE – (9-11) Fergal O’Brien

Numbers 81 – 90

81 CLOUDY TOO – (9-10) Sue Smith

82 LAMB OR COD – (9-10) Philip Hobbs

83 MILANSBAR – (9-10) Neil King

84 POLIDAM – (9-10) Willie Mullins IRE

85 DROMNEA – (9-09) Mouse Morris IRE

86 STREETS OF PROMISE – (9-09) Michael Scudamore

87 VYTA DU RUC – (9-09) Nicky Henderson

88 BEEVES – (9-08) Jennie Candlish

89 ROYALE KNIGHT – (9-08) Dr Richard Newland

90 ALFIE SPINNER – (9-07) Kerry Lee

Numbers 91-100

91 EMPEROR’S CHOICE – (9-07) Venetia Williams

92 GOULANES – (9-07) Neil Mulholland

93 LESSONS IN MILAN – (9-07) Nicky Henderson

94 MOUNTAIN KING – (9-07) Gordon Elliott IRE

95 OUT SAM – (9-07) Warren Greatrex

96 SIZING COAL – (9-07) Jim Dreaper IRE

97 DARE TO ENDEAVOUR – (9-06) Eric McNamara IRE

98 FATHER EDWARD – (9-06) David Pipe

99 SAMINGARRY – (9-06) Nigel Hawke

100 SILVER MAN – (9-06) Jo Hughes

Numbers 101 – 109

101 ALVARADO – (9-05) Fergal O’Brien

102 MILBOROUGH – (9-05) Ian Duncan

103 THE CRAFTY BUTCHER – (9-04) Willie Mullins IRE

104 WALDORF SALAD – (9-04) Venetia Williams

105 KATENKO – (9-03) Venetia Williams

106 FEDERICI – (9-02) Donald McCain

107 GONE TOO FAR – (9-01) David Pipe

108 RACING PULSE – (9-01) Rebecca Curtis

109 KILLER CROW – (9-00) Gordon Elliott IRE

Summary

Although the Gordon Elliott trained Outlander was given top weight for the National, almost immediately after the announcement, Gordon said he would not take part in the race. On the face of it, Phil Smith has hit the Irish trained horses the hardest as the top five are all Irish trained. Gordon Elliott has an incredible 11 entrants from just the top 40 at the weights, so expect to see plenty of movement from below the 40 barrier in the coming weeks.

With Outlander out of the race, Champagne West at this moment in time will carry top weight off 11-09. An impressive winner of the Thyestes Chase recently, Henry De Bromhead’s charge may well have enough class to run a huge race. Phil Smith likes to compress the weights to give the classier horses’ a fair crack of the whip, as we saw when Many Clouds romped to victory in the race not too long ago. Irish Gold Cup runner up Empire Of Dirt has been raised 4 pounds but he looks a horse on the upgrade, another live contender for Gigginstown House Stud.

Irish Gold Cup third Don Poli is another runner for Gordon Elliott and the O’Leary’s at the top of the weights and he should be very much suited to a four and a half mile test. Interestingly, Sir A.P. McCoy thinks John Kiely’s dual Irish Gold Cup winner Carlingford Lough holds every chance in the race and he thinks the flat track at Aintree will suit. 2016 Grand National runner up The Last Samuri will carry 11-05 and although he is off a 12 pound higher mark this year, Kim Bailey remains confident “He’s got a great chance, he really has.”

It will be very interesting to see if the expensive French import Alary will go for this race. Alan Potts bought the horse for a fortune apparently and he was initially seen to be a Gold Cup horse but he has run terribly on both UK starts to date so he may well need a trip of this nature. He will carry 11-04 if he runs. Willie Mullins’ best chance could come in the form of Alelchi Inois, formerly 2nd in the 2016 Galway Plate. He is 8th on the list and will carry a weight of 11-03.

What does the handicapper think about the race? Does he have a fancy? Realistically he shouldn’t because his job is to make the race as fair as possible but he does think Minella Rocco has an outstanding chance and he said “For me, Minella Rocco is crying out for four and a half miles.” He may well be right as he got found out stepped back in trip recently as he was regarded a potential Gold Cup horse which doesn’t look likely now. He won the four mile race at the Cheltenham Festival last year so must be respected.

Tony McCoy is very sweet on the Jonjo O’Neill trained More Of That whilst Paul Nicholls said his two best chances are Vicente and Le Mercurey who was not raised in the weights for his 2nd to Native River last weekend. One at the bottom of the weights who must have an outstanding chance with a clear round is 20/1 shot One For Arthur who was so impressive in the Warwick Classic Chase. Trainer Lucinda Russell said  “In the Becher and at Warwick he was nearly brought down. We’ve had two bits of luck. We’d like a third.”

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