Irish chaser Any Second Now has been one of the most consistent Grand National horses of his generation, as was third in the race in 2021, while 12 months later, he went one place better to finish second behind Noble Yeats.
His connections will be buoyed by what they saw from their horse at Navan when he won the Grade Two Webster Cup Chase by seven lengths. He finished ahead of Velvet Elvis and Hurricane Darwin respectively in that race.
Irish Horse Prominent in Betting for Aintree Success
Ted Walsh’s runner is set for his third shot at the Aintree contest in 2023 where he will once again face Noble Yeats. If he can land the top spot, he will become just the second horse since Red Rum in 1975 to finish third or better in three renewals of the marathon race.
As you can see from the racecards for today, Any Second Now will carry top weight in this year’s Grand National. He has been assigned 11st 12lb by the handicap and he is 12/1 to carry that allocation to victory.
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Last year's Randox Grand National runner-up Any Second Now gets back to winning ways in the Webster Cup Chase (Grade 2) at @NavanRacecourse pic.twitter.com/ZVFYM89Zkx
His recent success at Navan will not impact the Irish horse’s mark, as the weights for the Aintree contest were officially revealed by the handicapper in Liverpool back in February. They cannot now change, even if any of the entrants’ ratings improve before they line up in Liverpool.
Hitting Form at Exactly the Right Time
For the third consecutive year, Walsh’s chaser prevailed on his final outing before heading to Aintree. In 2021 he won the Webster Chase Cup for the first time, while in 2022, he landed the Grade Three Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.
The 11-year-old proved too strong for his rivals in the 2m4½f contest at Navan this season to regain his crown in the race. That was his first victory of the season, as he failed to make a mark in his two previous outings in the campaign.
Any Second Now made his seasonal reappearance at Punchestown when he was well beaten by Saint Sam. He then had to settle for fourth place of seven runners in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Challengers include Corach Rambler and Gaillard Du Mesnil
The front two horses from the 2022 Grand National will be joined in the race this year by new challengers. Ultima Handicap Chase winner Corach Rambler will be one of those. He is trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell and he has shown he enjoyed a stiff stamina test over fences.
Corach Rambler's done it again! pic.twitter.com/JZ5quU3iph
Corach Rambler tops the betting at 7/1 for the race this year on what will be his debut. His trainer knows all about Grand National, as she became the fifth female trainer to win the race in 2017 with One For Arthur.
Like Noble Yeats and Any Second Now, Gaillard Du Mesnil will also make the trip across the Irish Sea for their shot at the world’s most famous steeplechase in 2023. He was a winner at the Cheltenham Festival earlier in the campaign when he landed the National Hunt Challenge Cup.
The 2023 Grand National will be the 175th running of the race at Aintree. The race dates to 1839 and it remains a big event in the international sports calendar.
