Blaklion in training, partnered by Phil Kirby’s head lad Simon Olle. (Pic: Courtesy of Aintree Racecourse).
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Blaklion was brought down at the first fence in last year’s Randox Health Grand National and his new connections are hoping for better luck when he returns to Aintree on April 6.
Formerly trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Blaklion was transferred to Yorkshire trainer Philip Kirby in February after being purchased privately by owners Darren and Annaley Yates.
Blaklion will be making his debut for Kirby when he lines up in the world’s greatest steeplechase that carries prize money of £1-million. His new trainer is hopeful of a big run from his charge who finished fourth when sent off the 8-1 favourite in the 2017 National.
The 10-year-old showed his liking for the Grand National fences when winning the Becher Handicap Chase by nine lengths in December 2017 and Kirby is upbeat about the chances of Blaklion, who has been allotted 10st 12lb for this year’s contest.
“Blaklion is in good form and we have been happy with him since his racecourse gallop at Wetherby [on March 19],” Kirby said.
“It was not too serious a workout, but it was good to get him on the track and get a nice blow into him.
“He heads to Aintree with a nice weight and has proven himself round the track before, finishing fourth in a Grand National and winning the Becher Chase.
“We have kept him fresh and we are looking forward to running.”
Randox Health Grand National
Grade 3 handicap chase, £1 million total prize fund. Aintree, 5.15pm Saturday, April 6, 2019. 4m 2f 74y over the Grand National fences. 4. Maximum field of 40 plus four reserves. (Weights to be raised by at least 4lb on Monday, April 1, 2019)
| Horse | Age | Wgt | Rtg | Owner | Trainer | |
| 1) | ANIBALE FLY (FR) | 9 | 11-06 | 164 | J P McManus | Tony Martin IRE |
| 2) | ALPHA DES OBEAUX (FR) | 9 | 11-04 | 162 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 3) | THE STORYTELLER (IRE) | 8 | 11-03 | 161 | Pat Sloan | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 4) | VALTOR (FR) | 10 | 11-02 | 160 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Nicky Henderson |
| 5) | TIGER ROLL (IRE) | 9 | 11-01 | 159 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 6) | OUTLANDER (IRE) | 11 | 11-00 | 158 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 7) | DON POLI (IRE) | 10 | 10-13 | 157 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 8) | SUB LIEUTENANT (IRE) | 10 | 10-13 | 157 | Gigginstown House Stud | Henry de Bromhead IRE |
| 9) | GO CONQUER (IRE) | 10 | 10-13 | 157 | Paul & Clare Rooney | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 10) | MALA BEACH (IRE) | 11 | 10-12 | 156 | Chris Jones | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 11) | YALA ENKI (FR) | 9 | 10-12 | 156 | Hills of Ledbury (Aga) | Venetia Williams |
| 12) | BLAKLION | 10 | 10-12 | 156 | Darren & Annaley Yates | Philip Kirby |
| 13) | MINELLA ROCCO (IRE) | 9 | 10-11 | 155 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill |
| 14) | LAKE VIEW LAD (IRE) | 9 | 10-11 | 155 | Trevor Hemmings | Nick Alexander |
| 15) | PLEASANT COMPANY (IRE) | 11 | 10-11 | 155 | Malcolm Denmark | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 16) | BALLYOPTIC (IRE) | 9 | 10-11 | 155 | Mills & Mason Partnership | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 17) | DOUNIKOS (FR) | 8 | 10-10 | 154 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 18) | RATHVINDEN (IRE) | 11 | 10-10 | 154 | Ronnie Bartlett | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 19) | ONE FOR ARTHUR (IRE) | 10 | 10-10 | 154 | Two Golf Widows | Lucinda Russell |
| 20) | SHATTERED LOVE (IRE) | 8 | 10-10 | 154 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 21) | ROCK THE KASBAH (IRE) | 9 | 10-09 | 153 | Diana Whateley | Philip Hobbs |
| 22) | WARRIORS TALE | 10 | 10-09 | 153 | Trevor Hemmings | Paul Nicholls |
| 23) | REGAL ENCORE (IRE) | 11 | 10-08 | 152 | J P McManus | Anthony Honeyball |
| 24) | MAGIC OF LIGHT (IRE) | 8 | 10-07 | 151 | Ann & Alan Potts Limited | Jessica Harrington IRE |
| 25) | A TOI PHIL (FR) | 9 | 10-07 | 151 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 26) | JURY DUTY (IRE) | 8 | 10-07 | 151 | Sideways Syndicate | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 27) | NOBLE ENDEAVOR (IRE) | 10 | 10-06 | 150 | Chris Jones | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 28) | SANDYMOUNT DUKE (IRE) | 10 | 10-06 | 150 | Ronnie Wood | Jessica Harrington IRE |
| 29) | MONBEG NOTORIOUS (IRE) | 8 | 10-06 | 150 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 30) | RAMSES DE TEILLEE (FR) | 7 | 10-05 | 149 | John White & Anne Underhill | David Pipe |
| 31) | TEA FOR TWO | 10 | 10-05 | 149 | Jane Williams & Len Jakeman | Jane Williams |
| 32) | MALL DINI (IRE) | 9 | 10-04 | 148 | Philip Reynolds | Patrick Kelly IRE |
| 33) | STEP BACK (IRE) | 9 | 10-03 | 147 | Cracker and Smodge Partnership | Mark Bradstock |
| 34) | ULTRAGOLD (FR) | 11 | 10-03 | 147 | Brocade Racing John Romans Terry Warner | Colin Tizzard |
| 35) | MS PARFOIS (IRE) | 8 | 10-02 | 146 | Martyn Chapman | Anthony Honeyball |
| 36) | PAIROFBROWNEYES (IRE) | 10 | 10-02 | 146 | Fibbage Syndicate | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 37) | BLOW BY BLOW (IRE) | 8 | 10-02 | 146 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 38) | UP FOR REVIEW (IRE) | 10 | 10-02 | 146 | Andrea & Graham Wylie | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 39) | SINGLEFARMPAYMENT | 9 | 10-02 | 146 | Neal Griffith & Heather Haddock | Tom George |
| 40) | VIEUX LION ROUGE (FR) | 10 | 10-02 | 146 | Prof Caroline Tisdall & John Gent | David Pipe |
| 41) | VALSEUR LIDO (FR) | 10 | 10-02 | 146 | Gigginstown House Stud | Henry de Bromhead IRE |
| 42) | ABOLITIONIST (IRE) | 11 | 10-01 | 145 | Mark Albon, John Provan & Chris Stedman | Dr Richard Newland |
| 43) | VINTAGE CLOUDS (IRE) | 9 | 10-00 | 144 | Trevor Hemmings | Sue Smith |
| 44) | GENERAL PRINCIPLE (IRE) | 10 | 10-00 | 144 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 45) | LIVELOVELAUGH (IRE) | 9 | 10-00 | 144 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 46) | WALK IN THE MILL (FR) | 9 | 10-00 | 144 | Baroness Harding | Robert Walford |
| 47) | FOLSOM BLUE (IRE) | 12 | 10-00 | 144 | Core Partnership | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 48) | BLESS THE WINGS (IRE) | 14 | 9-13 | 143 | Adrian Butler & Stephen O’Connor | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 49) | CAPTAIN REDBEARD (IRE) | 10 | 9-13 | 143 | Stuart Coltherd | Stuart Coltherd |
| 50) | POLIDAM (FR) | 10 | 9-13 | 143 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 51) | JOE FARRELL (IRE) | 10 | 9-12 | 142 | Mark Sherwood, Nigel Morris & Rebecca Curtis | Rebecca Curtis |
| 52) | JUST A PAR (IRE) | 12 | 9-12 | 142 | Mark Scott | James Moffatt |
| 53) | THE YOUNG MASTER | 10 | 9-12 | 142 | Mike Burbidge & The Old Masters | Neil Mulholland |
| 54) | BAIE DES ILES (FR) | 8 | 9-12 | 142 | Zorka Wentworth | Ross O’Sullivan IRE |
| 55) | ISLEOFHOPENDREAMS | 12 | 9-12 | 142 | Kilbroney Racing | Willie Mullins IRE |
| 56) | EXITAS (IRE) | 11 | 9-12 | 142 | Phil Middleton, Mark Lowther | Phil Middleton |
| 57) | RED INFANTRY (IRE) | 9 | 9-12 | 142 | Rob Little | Ian Williams |
| 58) | SHANTOU VILLAGE (IRE) | 9 | 9-12 | 142 | Jane Gerard-Pearse | Neil Mulholland |
| 59) | COGRY | 10 | 9-10 | 140 | Graham and Alison Jelley | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 60) | OUT SAM | 10 | 9-10 | 140 | Danny Charlesworth | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 61) | FACT OF THE MATTER (IRE) | 9 | 9-10 | 140 | The Sandylini Racing Partnership | Jamie Snowden |
| 62) | VIEUX MORVAN (FR) | 10 | 9-10 | 140 | M L Bloodstock Limited | Joseph O’Brien IRE |
| 63) | MR DIABLO (IRE) | 10 | 9-09 | 139 | Aidan Glynn | Philip Dempsey IRE |
| 64) | IMPULSIVE STAR (IRE) | 9 | 9-09 | 139 | Robert Waley-Cohen & Men Holding | Neil Mulholland |
| 65) | KINGSWELL THEATRE | 10 | 9-09 | 139 | John J Murray | Michael Scudamore |
| 66) | CAROLE’S DESTRIER | 11 | 9-08 | 138 | Carole Skipworth | Neil Mulholland |
| 67) | MILANSBAR (IRE) | 12 | 9-08 | 138 | Robert Bothway | Neil King |
| 68) | BORICE (FR) | 8 | 9-07 | 137 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 69) | MEASUREOFMYDREAMS (IRE) | 11 | 9-07 | 137 | Tom Howley Jnr/Mouse O’Ryan/Dave McDonnell | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| 70) | SPLASH OF GINGE | 11 | 9-07 | 137 | John Neild | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 71) | ZIGA BOY (FR) | 10 | 9-07 | 137 | Axom LI | Alan King |
| 72) | HIGHLAND LODGE (IRE) | 13 | 9-05 | 135 | Cheveley Park Stud | James Moffatt |
| 73) | CALL IT MAGIC (IRE) | 9 | 9-05 | 135 | Zorka Wentworth | Ross O’Sullivan IRE |
| 74) | KILCREA VALE (IRE) | 9 | 9-05 | 135 | Alan Spence | Nicky Henderson |
| 75) | LOOKING WELL (IRE) | 10 | 9-03 | 133 | David Wesley Yates | Nicky Richards |
| 76) | POTTERS CORNER (IRE) | 9 | 9-02 | 132 | All Stars Sports Racing & Jonathan Davies | Christian Williams |
| 77) | MORNEY WING (IRE) | 10 | 8-13 | 129 | The Steeple Chasers | Charlie Mann |
| 78) | RATHLIN ROSE (IRE) | 11 | 8-12 | 128 | Fergus Wilson | David Pipe |
| 79) | SCOIR MEAR (IRE) | 9 | 8-11 | 127 | J P McManus | Thomas Mullins IRE |
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