The Grand National is the world’s most valuable and most famous jumps race and will take place for the 172nd time on April 6th 2019. Bristol De Mai is one of nine runners entered by Nigel Twiston-Davies and it heads the weights with 11st 10lb for the big race. This contender won the Betfair Chase at Haydock last November with a four-length lead over second-placed Native River and Twiston-Davies will be hopeful of repeating his National successes of 1998 and 2002 when Earth Summit and Bindaree romped home to victory in those respective years. Among his nine entries, the trainer also has 2017 Becher Handicap Chase victor Blacklion and Sky Bet Chase winner Go Conquer with weights of 10st 12lb and 10st 13lb respectively.
Tiger Roll gave Gordon Elliott another Grand National win in 2018 and this runner has been handed 11st 1lb as he makes his bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the race since Red Rum. Tiger Roll is very prominent in the ante-post betting alongside Colin Tizzard’s Elegant Escape, the latter being given 11st 4lb.
Gordon Elliott has entered 22 runners out of an Irish-trained contingent of 47, his team also featuring 2018 Irish National winner General Principle (10st) and Storyteller (11st 3lb). Willie Mullins is Elliott’s great rival and he has ten entries in total including Rathvinden (10st 10lb), Pleasant Company (10st 11lb) and Up For Review (10st 2lb).
Lucinda Russell’s One For Arthur was unable to defend his 2017 crown last year due to injury but he will be aiming for the 2019 renewal of the race with an allotted weight of 10st 10lb. Other entries include Walk In The Mill (10st), Ultragold (10st 3lb), Abolitionist (10st 1lb), Rock The Kasbah (10st 9lb), Baie Des Iles (9st 12lb) and Shattered Love (10st 10lb).
BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood has complete discretion for the Grand National and he framed the weights for the very first time. He said:
“It was fairly straightforward to do the weights. I tried to treat it like any other race whilst bearing in mind there has to be some digression when needed.
“Bristol De Mai heads the weights and his rating has been compressed by 5lb as I thought it was better to have a horse at the top of the handicap whose rating was slightly out of kilter. If Bristol De Mai does run then I think it was the right call to make.
“I found Auvergnat (10st 8lb) of Enda Bolger’s hard to weigh up. He has a lot of Cross Country form and he was the hardest one I had to deal with. He has been running primarily in Cross Country races and they are events which are having an increasing impact on the Grand National, highlighted by Tiger Roll’s success last year.
“His form ties in with Josies Orders and Tiger Roll. He would almost have three different ratings, one in the mid-140s for regulation fences, a high 150s for the Cross Country fences and I have put him somewhere in the middle of that (152) to tie in with Josies Orders.
“Tiger Roll is up 9lb from his mark for last year’s Grand National and Pleasant Company 7lb. I have them both on the same mark for what they were rated after last year’s Grand National. Tiger Roll confirmed that rating in the Cross Country Handicap at Cheltenham in November. Pleasant Company has been a bit disappointing in a few runs since, but I think the Aintree fences will bring out the best in him, so that is why I left him on that mark.
“I think there are several interesting runners like Vintage Clouds and Elegant Escape, who is towards the top of the betting and he is an improving horse and was a good second to Frodon at Cheltenham last time out so you can see why he is one of the more fancied horses.
“I think it would be a knee-jerk reaction to make too much of the small amount of horses who are weighted 11st or higher. I wouldn’t want to get too clever about what the reason is.
“At the entry stage, you needed to be around the mid-70s to get you into the race. I think anything based in the top 80 has a chance of getting in. Four of the last five years, horses approaching that number have got in so some connections shouldn’t give up because they are rated towards the bottom.”
The unveiling of the weights for the 2019 Grand National marks the start of the countdown for the big race which is a little over eight weeks away.
2019 Grand National Weights
11-10 – Bristol De Mai
11-06 – Anibale Fly
11-04 – Alpha Des Obeaux
11-04 – Elegant Escape
11-03 – The Storyteller
11-02 – Valtor
11-01 – Edwulf
11-01 – Tiger Roll
11-00 – Outlander
10-13 – Don Poli
10-13 – Go Conquer
10-13 – Sub Lieutenant
10-12 – Blaklion
10-12 – Mala Beach
10-12 – Yala Enki
10-11 – Ballyoptic
10-11 – Black Corton
10-11 – Lake View Lad
10-11 – Minella Rocco
10-11 – Pleasant Company
10-10 – American
10-10 – Dounikos
10-10 – One For Arthur
10-10 – Rathvinden
10-10 – Shattered Love
10-10 – Sizing Codelco
10-10 – Total Recall
10-10 – Traffic Fluide
10-09 – Rock The Kasbah
10-09 – Warriors Tale
10-08 – Auvergnat
10-08 – Regal Encore
10-08 – Royal Vacation
10-07 – A Toi Phil
10-07 – Jury Duty
10-07 – Magic Of Light
10-07 – Master Dee
10-06 – Monbeg Notorious
10-06 – Noble Endeavor
10-06 – Sandymount Duke
10-06 – The Last Samuri
10-05 – Acapella Bourgois
10-05 – Ramses De Teillee
10-05 – Tea For Two
10-04 – Daklondike
10-04 – Mall Dini
10-03 – Calett Mad
10-03 – Step Back
10-03 – The Dutchman
10-03 – Ultragold
10-02 – Blow By Blow
10-02 – Ms Parfois
10-02 – Pairofbrowneyes
10-02 – Singlefarmpayment
10-02 – Some Neck
10-02 – Up For Review
10-02 – Valseur Lido
10-02 – Vieux Lion Rouge
10-01 – Abolitionist
10-01 – Give Me A Copper
Guide to Weights
The Grand National is a handicap race and as such it is of the utmost importance to consider what weight the horse is carrying when making a selection. Weight is a very important factor in determining the outcome of a handicap race and with a distance of four miles and four furlongs and some tricky fences to negotiate, it clearly makes sense that a lighter weight will be better for each runner.
The handicapping principle involves determining what weight each horse will carry and past performance plays a major part in this. Basically a horse will carry a weight which is determined by ability shown in past races – the better a horse’s past performances then the higher handicap mark will be given, this in turn resulting in a higher weight being applied. Poor past performances have the opposite result – a lower weight being applied.
