Who will take the glory at Aintree? I Am Maximus took the top honour last year and is once more among the favourites, but can he be stopped – if you’re struggling to choose, our random generator can help you out
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The final list of runners for this year’s Grand National has been announced, with 34 horses set to battle it out for the biggest title in racing.
Picking a horse can be a tricky affair, with everyone having their own ways. You could simply go for one of the favourites, including Stumptown, who is 8/1 at the time of writing. You could pore over the pundits’ tips from your favourite newspaper. You could just go for a name you like the look of.
Or, you could leave it to chance and use our random horse selector. Simply click the ‘get your horse’ button below to receive your random pick.
One horse with plenty in his favour is Bargain-buy Hewick, bidding for a fairytale success. The journey of John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s remarkable €850 purchase is already etched in racing folklore – but there would be unbridled scenes of joy if the pint-sized 10-year-old can register his finest hour at Aintree.
Class often comes to the fore in the modern-day National and Hewick – who began on the road to stardom in the Durham National at Sedgefield in the autumn of 2021 and has also won the American Grand National – has plenty of that.
He has ticked off plenty of big races and even performed with credit in a Cheltenham Gold Cup during his progression through the ranks, the pinnacle of which has so far been Kempton Park on Boxing Day 2023, when he came from the clouds for King George glory. Gavin Sheehan was the man in the saddle on that occasion and it is perhaps a good omen he takes the reins once again for the Merseyside marathon.
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Defending champion I Am Maximus heads the 34 declarations for Saturday’s showpiece. The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was a seven-and-a-half-length winner last year and while he is off an 8lb higher mark this term, he is again among the leading lights with Paul Townend keeping faith despite two lacklustre runs this year.
Mullins runs six in total, including Nick Rockett, Grangeclare West and Meetingofthewaters, with fellow Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell also holding a strong hand with ante-post favourite Stumptown joined by Vanillier and Perceval Legallois.
