2023 Aintree hero Corach Rambler is the warm favourite to win the Randox Grand National once again with 51 horses now on course after the five-day declaration stage.
All the leading fancies stood their ground for this Saturday's £1 million Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse with seven horses taken out of the race – Classic Getaway, Bronn, Fury Road, Empire Steel, Fantastic Lady, Angels Dawn and Full Back. Lucinda Russell's Corach Rambler – a best-priced 11-2 favourite with Betfred – is on course to bid for back-to-back victories in the Aintree showpiece this weekend. Gordon Elliott's Conflated continues to top the weights on 11st12lb, but the Gigginstown House Stud-owned 10-year-old is also entered in the Aintree Bowl and the Melling Chase on the Thursday and Friday of the Grand National Festival respectively.
The Russell-trained Corach Rambler, who currently has to carry 11st5lb in his bid to become the 10th dual winner of the race, heads back to Aintree this weekend as the favourite, as he was when he won last season. He warmed up for the defence of his National crown with a superb effort when third behind dual winner Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at last month's Cheltenham Festival. Under Derek Fox, who also partnered Russell's One For Arthur in his Grand National victory six years earlier, Corach Rambler went on to land the world's greatest steeplechase last April, scoring by two-and-a-quarter-lengths from Irish raider Vanillier. Russell's two successes broke up the recent Irish dominance with five of the other winners from the past seven renewals hailing from the Emerald Isle.
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