JP McManus' Irish and English Grand National hopes The Cheltenham Festival is now beyond us and it’s going to Grand National season soon, with the English, Scottish and Irish equivalents all coming up within the next month. One owner who could have a major influence is the great JP McManus, who should be full of confidence after a very successful Cheltenham. He won the big one at Aintree with I Am Maximus two years ago and will have plenty of bonafide contenders this time around. The 2024 winner is well set to make the line up once again, having been runner-up last year, and Cheltenham Festival-winner Johnnywho is amongst his other candidates. Irish Grand National I Am Maximus holds an entry for this one, although it would be a bit of a surprise if he was to run here rather than at Aintree. The progressive novice chaser Oscars Brother found the going a bit too quick in the Brown Advisory last time out but kept on well to finish fourth in the end. Novices often run well in this race, as they’re potentially unexposed and ahead of the handicapper, so Connor King’s gelding would be the ideal candidate for a race like this, especially if it comes up soft, although he also holds an entry for the big one at Aintree. Confirmed stayer Better Times Ahead was a game winner of the Porterstown in November and that race is run here over a furlong further. That was the nine-year-old’s second course victory suggesting that the track is very much to his liking. Second in the Thyestes two starts ago, he looks like an ideal candidate for this sort of test. Goraibmaithagat is another interesting novice and he wasn’t far behind when second in the Leinster National last time out. Colm Murphy’s gelding is worth giving a go over this sort of trip. Sa Majeste was 20 lengths behind in third that day and he wouldn’t be without a chance either. Grand National Unsurprisingly, I Am Maximus is right at the top of the market, having finished first and second in the last two renewals. Iroko finished fourth last year and many people fancy him to run a big race, although he flopped badly when well fancied in the Ultima at Cheltenham last time out. Jagwar finished second on that occasion and is therefore presumably well in, running off an unchanged mark here. The trip is the big question mark for him, as is his willingness to go past horses when push comes to shove. It was Johnnywho who managed to get the better of Jagwar in the Ultima and the way in which he finished off his race suggests the trip could suit. He was poor in the Irish Grand National last year, which is a slight concern, but the Grand National plan could well have been formed before that. Oscars Brother ran a great trial when staying on in the Brown Advisory and Noble Yeats won it as a novice in 2022. You certainly couldn’t rule him out if the eight-year-old lines up. One to keep an eye on is the very talented Spillane’s Tower, who was last seen getting the better of L’Homme Presse and Grey Dawning in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January. A mark of 164 makes it a big ask, but he’s a very smart performer on his day and could run a big race.
