Grand National legend Ruby Walsh ‘can’t believe’ shortage of British-trained horses

Sports
By James

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‘It’s pretty obvious there’s a decline’: Ruby Walsh insists she ‘can’t believe’ the dearth of British-trained horses in this year’s Grand National with just a QUARTER of Aintree line-up set to be homegrown .

  • Around 10 of the 40 members of the Aintree lineup are expected to be British.
  • The number will represent a further decline from last season’s figure of 19 Britons.
  • Walsh believes it will take time for several British rookies to break through.

By Marcus Townend for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

Grand National winning jockey Ruby Walsh has said he cannot understand why there are so few British-trained horses entered in the Randox Grand National given the £1 million jackpot on offer.

After the weights were released on Tuesday, BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood predicted that only a quarter of the 40-player starting line-up at Aintree on April 15 will be British.

The number will drop further from last season, when a record low of just 19 British runners started in the biggest steeplechase of the year which attracts interest from around the world.

The trend reflects the current dominance of the Irish in show jumping. They have won the last four races of the race and last season they edged out the Brits at the Cheltenham Festival by 18 wins to 10.

Walsh, now a television pundit who has won the Grand National in Papillon (2000) and Hedgehunter (2005), said: “It’s quite obvious there’s a decline (in British show jumping racing). There’s a shortage of entries.

Ruby Walsh says she can't understand why there are so few British-trained horses in the Grand National

Ruby Walsh says she can’t understand why there are so few British-trained horses in the Grand National

Only a quarter of Aintree's 40 members are expected to be British this year.

Only a quarter of Aintree’s 40 members are expected to be British this year.

‘The Grand National is a £1 million race and is the only million pound jumps race in the world. I can’t believe there aren’t more British horses in it.

Walsh said there were signs of green shoots but it will take time for British show jumping racing to reap its rewards.

Walsh added: ‘The cycles start with what you breed, the novice runners and the novice hunters. There are some (decent) British rookies going to Cheltenham this year for the first time in several years and that’s where he has to start. Eventually, those horses wash up.

Of the 85 Grand National entries, only 31 are British and Ireland is responsible for 18 of the top 20 at weights. Last year 54 British horses were entered.

Paddy Power make it a 1-5 chance that the race will be won by an Irish-trained horse and a 7-2 chance that there will be a home win.

His 8-1 favorite is the Emmet Mullins-trained 2022 winner Noble Yeats, who has been assigned the 11-pound 11th seed. The last few years his weight was 10th 10th.

Irish-trained 2022 winner Noble Yeats is favorite to come out on top in the Grand National

Irish-trained 2022 winner Noble Yeats is favorite to come out on top in the Grand National

He will try to repeat the victory on the 50th anniversary of the first of Red Rum’s three historic victories.

The lowest-priced British hope is Corach Rambler (12-1). He is trained by Lucinda Russell, who produced the last house-trained winner at One For Arthur in 2017.

This year’s race coincides with the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster involving Liverpool fans attending an FA Cup semi-final. Aintree plans to mark the occasion with a minute of applause.

PADDY POWER’S GRAND NATIONAL ANTE-POST ODDS

Noble Yeats – 8/1

Corach Rambler – 12/1

Any second now – 1/14

Combined – 14/1

Longhouse Poet – 1/16

Gaillard du Mesnil – 1/16

Delta Work – 1/20

Lifetime ambition – 1/20

The Milos – 20/1

Remastered – 20/1

Handpicked – 1/20

Fury Road – 1/20

Hewick-1/25

Capodano – 25/1

The Big Dog – 1/25

Mr. Incredible – 1/25

Fast Wave – 25/1

Royal Pagaille – 1/25

Galvin – 25/1

Minella singer – 25/1

Lord Lariat – 33/1

Darasso – 33/1

The great escape – 33/1

Ashtown Lad – 33/1

Coko Beach – 33/1

Chemical energy – 33/1

Secret pardon – 33/1

Sam Brown-33/1

Farclas – 33/1

Lead filled pencil – 33/1

happygolucky – 33/1

The shunter – 33/1

Isn’t it a shame? – 1/33

Three under five – 33/1

Milan native – 33/1

Hill Sixteen – 33/1

Sporting John – 40/1

Enjoy d’Allen – 40/1

Free of Port – 40/1

Frontal Assault – 50/1

Oskar from Eva – 50/1

Law Ga – 50/1

Cloudy Glen – 50/1

Mr Coffey – 50/1

Punitive – 50/1

Burrow Saint – 50/1

Ream Ten – 50/1

Our power – 50/1

Dunboyne-50/1

Deadly – 50/1

Velvet Elvis – 50/1

Vanillier – 66/1

Duke Glamorgan – 66/1

Back in the whip – 66/1

rapper – 66/1

Send Allen – 66/1

Minella Trump – 66/1

Fakiera – 66/1

Near perfect – 66/1

Ash Meadow – 66/1

Recite a prayer – 66/1

Gin Over Lima – 66/1

Captain Kangaroo – 66/1

Diol Ker – 66/1

Emery Cilaos – 66/1

A wave of the sea – 66/1

Fantastic – 66/1

Darrens Hope – 66/1

Death Duty – 66/1

Chris’s dream – 66/1

Corporal Knight – 100/1

Gevrey – 100/1

Francky Du Berlais – 100/1

Battleoverdoyen – 100/1

Defi Blue – 100/1

Born by the sea – 100/1

Gabby’s Cross – 100/1

Captain Cattistock – 100/1

Fortescue – 100/1

Wizard King – 150/1

All odds courtesy of Paddy Power

*Odds quoted are Future Racing/Antepost prices, which means that if your team does not take part in the race for any reason, your bet will be forfeited under traditional Antepost rules.

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