By Simon Jackson

Triolo D’Alene is taken to benefit from his experience of the fences and land the £1million Crabbie’s Grand National at odds of 16-1 (Paddy Power) at Aintree on Saturday.

The Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old landed the two miles and five and a half furlong Topham Stakes over the Grand National fences last year and while unproven over the longer Grand National distance, is fancied to prevail.

The National has long been the target for the winner of six of his 16 starts. These victories include an impressive win in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury last November, where Henderson revealed that winning jockey Barry Geraghty was already eyeing the National.

“He is a lovely horse with a lovely attitude and Barry has been begging me all year to mind him for the Grand National,” Henderson said immediately after the victory. “But the Hennessy is very special and we will be delighted to take that home with us tonight and we’ll think about the National later on.”

The success impressed Geraghty. “I was always travelling well,” he said. “As you saw [in the Topham Chase] at Aintree, he can put down at a few fences but he always gets great height and is able to fill his lungs when he does it.”

The biggest danger may well be 14-1 shot Double Seven who will be suited by the ground – that is currently good to soft, good in places – and will also benefit from the services of champion jockey Tony McCoy.

The winner of five of his last six starts is reported to be in top form by his trainer Martin Brassil, who won the National in 2006 with Numbersixvalverde.

“He’s in really good form, eating great and in a great frame of mind,” the trainer said.

The betting for the four miles and three and a half furlongs contest is headed by Teaforthree (9-1) who finished third in this race last year and can fill a similar position on Saturday.

Another fancied to finish in the money is Monbeg Dude. The Welsh National winner is owned by England International Mike Tindall, whose wife Zara Phillips has been instrumental in the preparation. The Royal connection is sure to make the 12-1 shot popular with punters.

The dual King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Long Run, can fill a minor placing at 12-1, as can Balthazar King at 18-1.

The Crabbie’s Grand National

Class 1, Grade 3, £1,000,000 Total Prize Fund. 4.15pm, Aintree, Saturday, April 5, 2014. Four miles, three and a half furlongs.

Form                Horse  Age/Wgt  Owner Trainer/Jockey

1) 21-1532  TIDAL BAY (IRE)   13-11-10  Andrea & Graham Wylie Paul Nicholls/Sam Twiston-Davies

2) 32-54U1  LONG RUN (FR) c/p  9-11-09  Robert Waley-Cohen   Nicky Henderson/Mr Sam Waley-Cohen

3) 606034  HUNT BALL (IRE)   9-11-07  Atlantic Equine   Nicky Henderson/Andrew Tinkler

4) 01-1310  TRIOLO D’ALENE (FR) 7-11-06  Sandy & Caroline Orr   Nicky Henderson/Barry Geraghty

5) 1113-22  ROCKY CREEK (IRE)  8-11-05  The Johnson & Stewart Families Paul Nicholls/Noel Fehily

6) 5-F405P QUITO DE LA ROQUE (FR) c/p 10-11-01 Gigginstown House Stud Colm Murphy IRE/Brian O’Connell

7) U-03U0F  COLBERT STATION (IRE) t 10-11-00  J P McManus  Ted Walsh IRE/Mark Walsh

8) 2P52-U4  WALKON (FR) c/p   9-11-00  McNeill Family    Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson

9) 0P-1111  BALTHAZAR KING (IRE) 10-10-13  The Brushmakers   Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson

10) 06-52P0  WAYWARD PRINCE t  10-10-13  John & Hilary Parrott  Hilary Parrott/Jack Doyle

 

11) 503112   MR MOONSHINE (IRE) 10-10-12 Douglas Pryde, Jim Beaumont & David van der Hoeven Sue Smith/Ryan Mania

12) 203-020  TEAFORTHREE (IRE)   10-10-12   Conyers, O’Reilly, Roddis, Zeffman Rebecca Curtis/Nick Scholfield

13) 10-501U  ACROSS THE BAY (IRE) bl t 10-10-11  Scotch Piper Syndicate  Donald McCain/Henry Brooke

14) 111116  DOUBLE SEVEN (IRE) t c/p  8-10-11  J P McManus    Martin Brassil IRE/ A P McCoy

15) 11-1PRP  BATTLE GROUP c/p   9-10-10  Jolly Boys Outing   Johnny Farrelly/Brendan Powell

16) 5-05103  BUCKERS BRIDGE (IRE)  8-10-10  Ann & Alan Potts Partnership Henry de Bromhead IRE/Andrew Lynch

17) PP-5014  LION NA BEARNAI (IRE)  12-10-10  The Lock Syndicate  Tom Gibney IRE/Davy Russell

18) 12-3004  PRINCE DE BEAUCHENE (FR) 11-10-10  Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE/Paul Townend

19) 3P-3415  MONBEG DUDE (IRE)  9-10-09  Oydunow   Michael Scudamore/Paul Carberry

20) 0211-23  BIG SHU (IRE) t 9-10-08 Hugh Duffy/Richard Robinson/Caroline Woods Peter Maher IRE/Peter Buchanan                     

21) 500P02  BURTON PORT (IRE) t c/p  10-10-08  Trevor Hemmings   Jonjo O’Neill/Brian Harding

22) 124-050  OUR FATHER (IRE) bl  8-10-08  The Ives & Johnson Families David Pipe/Denis O’Regan

23) 41-3315  MOUNTAINOUS (IRE)  9-10-07  Walters Plant Hire & James & Jean Potter Richard Lee/Jamie Moore

24) 4UP-261 THE RAINBOW HUNTER 10-10-07 May We Never Be Found Out Partnership Kim Bailey/Aidan Coleman

25) P-1262F  VINTAGE STAR (IRE)  8-10-07  Trevor Hemmings   Sue Smith/Brian Hughes

26) 400-1P4  CHANCE DU ROY (FR) c/p 10-10-06  Daphne Du Pre   Philip Hobbs/Tom O’Brien

27) 12P-426  HAWKES POINT    9-10-06  Graham Roach   Paul Nicholls/Ryan Mahon

28) 441103  KRUZHLININ (GER)   7-10-06 Paul & Clare Rooney   Donald McCain/Wilson Renwick

29) 5F2013  PINEAU DE RE (FR)   11-10-06  J A Provan  Dr Richard Newland/Leighton Aspell

30) R03/3-U1 GOLAN WAY     10-10-05 W R B Racing 58   Tim Vaughan/Michael Byrne 

31) 25010U  TWIRLING MAGNET (IRE) t c/p 8-10-05 Gay Smith  Jonjo O’Neill/Richie McLernon

32) 302-FU0  VESPER BELL (IRE)   8-10-05  Susannah Ricci   Willie Mullins IRE/Mikey Fogarty

33) 4/14PP-3  THE PACKAGE t c/p  11-10-04  The Johnson Family   David Pipe/Tom Scudamore

34) 11-P0P3  RAZ DE MAREE (FR) v  9-10-03  James Swan   Dessie Hughes IRE/Davy Condon

35) 114P-01  ROSE OF THE MOON (IRE) c/p 9-10-03 Middleham Park Racing XXXIII & Partners David O’Meara/Jake Greenall

36) 220/-6P0  SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM (IRE) c/p 10-10-03  Liam Breslin    Nicky Henderson/David Bass

37) 6R3-51P  ALVARADO (IRE)    9-10-02  William & Angela Rucker Fergal O’Brien/Paul Moloney

38) 433-000  LAST TIME D’ALBAIN (FR)  10-10-02  Fontstown Syndicate   Liam Cusack IRE/Robbie Colgan

39) F3P465  ONE IN A MILAN (IRE) v 9-10-02  Paul Langford     Evan Williams/Adam Wedge

40) 4406-50  SWING BILL (FR)    13-10-01  Halewood International Ltd  David Pipe/Conor O’Farrell

Read Horse Talk with Simon Jackson each day at London24 for the latest horse racing news.