History seeker and current ante post favourite Tiger Roll headlines 105 Grand National entries revealed today for the world-famous £1,000,000 handicap chase run over 4m 2f at Aintree on Saturday, 4 April.
In 2019, the Gordon Elliott trained 10-year-old raised the roof under Davy Russell when he became the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Grand Nationals.
If successful again, the Gigginstown House Stud owned gelding – who is one of the most popular horses in training – would become the only horse to land three consecutive runnings of the world’s greatest steeplechase.
Tiger Roll is due to begin his campaign in either the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan on 16 February 16 or Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on 10 March – where he was won four times previously.
County Meath handler Elliott accounts for 18 of the 45 Irish trained Grand National entries in total. That is the most of any handler as he chases a fourth success in the race.
If victorious, Elliott would emulate Fred Rimmell and Ginger McCain as the most successful trainer in Grand National history.
Elliott’s powerful team also features leading Cheltenham Gold Cup fancy Delta Work and the exciting novice Champagne Classic.
Both horses also carry the famous maroon and white colours of Gigginstown.
Other Grade 1 performers among the Grand National entries are Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Native River and Sizing John.
Two-time Betfair Chase victor Bristol De Mai is one of seven contenders for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has won this twice before.
Burrows Saint among 10 for Mullins
Irish Grand National victor Burrows Saint is one of 10 Grand National entries for the Emerald Isle’s champion trainer Willie Mullins, who landed the spoils in 2005 with Hedgehunter.
The Mullins contingent also includes last year’s impressive Topham Chase victor Cadmium and recent Thyestes Chase scorer Total Recall.
Last year’s runner-up Magic Of Light and impressive Munster National heroine Cabaret Queen are the pick of four mares engaged.
No female horse has won the Grand National since Nickel Coin in 1951. Magic Of Light went close in 2019 despite bookmakers sending her off at 66/1.
Tiger Roll is not the only previous Grand National winner among the entries, with that honour also held by the Lucinda Russel trained One For Arthur.
He became only the second Scottish trained scorer in 2017 after Rubstic in 1979.
Only four horses have regained the Grand National – Red Rum (1974 and 1977), Manifesto (1897 and 1899), The Lamb (1868 and 1871) and Peter Simple (1849 and 1853).
Robert Walford’s Walk In The Mill has an excellent record over the unique spruce covered Grand National fences and fared best of the British trained contenders in last year’s renewal finishing fourth.
The 10-year-old, who carries the colours of Baroness Dido Harding, captured the Grade 3 Becher Handicap Chase for the second time at Aintree in December.
That made Walk In The Mill the first back-to-back winner of that key Grand National trial. He is a leading each-way fancy at the odds for many this time around.
Vintage Clouds features in Trevor Hemmings owned trio
Yorkshire handler Sue Smith, who tasted Grand National success in 2013 with Auroras Encore, has given Vintage Clouds an entry after his impressive victory in the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock Park.
He fell at the first last year, but his owner Trevor Hemmings is the joint most successful in Grand National history with three wins – Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and Many Clouds (2015).
Hemmings also has Lake View Lad (Nick Alexander) and Warriors Tale (Paul Nicholls), winner of the 2018 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences, engaged.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls ended his wait for Grand National glory in 2012 with Neptune Collonges. The Ditcheat handler makes six entries this year.
They include old Badger Ales Trophy victor Give Me A Copper, who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, and As De Mee who is owned by Dame Judi Dench.
The Oscar-winning actress is a huge racing fan and entered the same horse in the Grand National in 2018.
Other high-profile Grand National entries include JP McManus owned pair Kimberlite Candy (Tom Lacey) and OK Corral (Nicky Henderson).
Both have started 2020 with coveted handicap chase successes at Warwick and Doncaster respectively.
Welsh Grand National hero Potters Corner, who is trained by Christian Williams and part-owned by Wales rugby union international star Jonathan Davies, is also engaged.
The two French trained Grand National entries are Dalko Moriviere and Disco d’Authie (David Cottin).
Only two cross-Channel raiders have won the race, Huntsman in 1862 and Cortolvin in 1867.
Full 2020 Grand National entries
- A Toi Phil (Gary Moore)
- Acapella Bourgeois (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Acting Lass (Harry Fry)
- Activial (Tom George)
- Alpha Des Obeaux (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Ami Desbois (Graeme McPherson)
- Anibale Fly (Tony Martin, IRE)
- Any Second Now (Ted Walsh, IRE)
- As De Mee (Paul Nicholls)
- Aso (Venetia Williams)
- Atlanta Ablaze (Henry Daly)
- Ballyoptic (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- Beware The Bear (Nicky Henderson)
- Borice (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Bristol De Mai (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- Burrows Saint (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Cabaret Queen (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Cadmium (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Champagne Classic (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Chef Des Obeaux (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Chris’s Dream (Henry De Bromhead, IRE)
- Class Conti (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Cogry (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- Crievehill (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- Dalko Moriviere (Jerome Larrigade, FR)
- Dallas Des Pictons (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Death Duty (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Definitly Red (Brian Ellison)
- Delta Work (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Dingo Dollar (Alan King)
- Disco d’Authie (David Cottin, FR)
- Double Shuffle (Tom George)
- Dounikos (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Dragon d’Estruval (Nicky Henderson)
- Elegant Escape (Colin Tizzard)
- Fingerontheswitch (Neil Mulholland)
- Fitzhenry (Paul Nolan, IRE)
- Flying Angel (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- General Principle (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Give Me A Copper (Paul Nicholls)
- Heron Heights (Henry De Bromhead, IRE)
- Hogan’s Height (Jamie Snowden)
- Jett (Jessica Harrington, IRE)
- Joe Farrell (Rebecca Curtis)
- Jury Duty (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Kildisart (Ben Pauling)
- Kilfilum Cross (Henry Oliver)
- Kimberlite Candy (Tom Lacey)
- Lake View Lad (Nick Alexander)
- Le Breuil (Ben Pauling)
- Lord Du Mesnil (Richard Hobson)
- Magic Of Light (Jessica Harrington, IRE)
- Mall Dini (Patrick Kelly, IRE)
- Missed Approach (Warren Greatrex)
- Mister Whitaker (Mick Channon)
- Monbeg Notorious (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Moonshine Bay (Jessica Harrington, IRE)
- Native River (Colin Tizzard)
- Noble Endeavor (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Now McGinty (Stuart Edmunds)
- Ok Corral (Nicky Henderson)
- One For Arthur (Lucinda Russell)
- Out Sam (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Outlander (Richard Spencer)
- Peregrine Run (Peter Fahey, IRE)
- Pleasant Company (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Poker Party (Henry De Bromhead, IRE)
- Potters Corner (Christian Williams)
- Prince of Scars (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Princeton Royale (Neil King)
- Ramses De Teillee (David Pipe)
- Rathlin Rose (David Pipe)
- Ravenhill (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Regal Encore (Anthony Honeyball)
- Roaring Bull (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Romain De Senam (Paul Nicholls)
- Saint Xavier (Paul Nicholls)
- Scoir Mear (Thomas Mullins, IRE)
- Shattered Love (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Singlefarmpayment (Tom George)
- Sizing John (Jessica Harrington, IRE)
- Snugsborough Benny (Liam Cusack, IRE)
- Soupy Soups (Neil Mulholland)
- Spider Web (Thomas Mullins, IRE)
- Steely Addition (Philip Hobbs)
- Sub Lieutenant (Henry De Bromhead, IRE)
- Takingrisks (Nicky Richards)
- Talkischeap (Alan King)
- The Hollow Ginge (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- The Storyteller (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- The Young Master (Neil Mulholland)
- Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliott, IRE)
- Top Ville Ben (Philip Kirby)
- Total Recall (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Tout Est Permis (Noel Meade, IRE)
- Townshend (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
- Traffic Fluide (Gary Moore)
- Valtor (Nicky Henderson)
- Vieux Lion Rouge (David Pipe)
- Vintage Clouds (Sue Smith)
- Voix Du Reve (Willie Mullins, IRE)
- Walk In The Mill (Robert Walford)
- Warriors Tale (Paul Nicholls)
- Yala Enki (Paul Nicholls)
- Yorkhill (Willie Mullins, IRE)
