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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.”
My Racing is the premium resource for horse racing, supplying free horse racing tips, racecards and the latest and fastest horse racing results.