Grand National Festival 2024 Tips - April 11-13

2024 Grand National Weights - King George hero Hewick heads the weights

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: Wed 21 Feb 2024 10:23

Jon Vine 21 Feb 2024

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Full weights for the 2024 Grand National
The weights were revealed at Aintree on Tuesday 20th February
Hewick will have to carry top-weight after being rated 169

Jockey Derek Fox rides Corach Rambler (R) on the run-in, ahead of jockey Sean Flanagan on Vanillier (2R), to win the Grand National. (Getty)

The weights were unveiled for the 2024 Grand National at a ceremony in Aintree on Tuesday afternoon, and one of last year's placed runners was quickly backed into favouritism.

Corach Rambler won the 2023 Grand National off a mark of 146 and Lucinda Russell's star will return to Aintree running off a 13-pound higher mark in April. Vanillier kept on powerfully to finish second 12 months ago and Gavin Cromwell's nine-year-old was backed into favouritism for this year's race after being handed a rating of 151, just four pounds higher than last season.

Money also came for Galvin, who fell at the first fence on his Grand National debut in 2023. Gordon Elliott's former National Hunt Chase winner is still rated 163 over fences in Ireland, but was given a lenient mark of 155 by the British handicapper.

Galvin and Vanillier will carry under 11-00 if top-weight Hewick takes up his entry. Shark Hanlon's King George VI Chase winner will run off his Irish mark of 169. Conflated's rating was bumped up by two pounds by the British handicapper, meaning Elliott's ten-year-old will have to shoulder 11-9. Champion of two years ago, Noble Yeats placed fourth under 11-11 as he attempted to defend his crown last year, but Emmet Mullins' star will only shoulder 11-8 this year.

The Irish entrants in this year's Grand National have been treated fairly on the whole. One trainer who does have reason to be aggrieved is Mouse Morris, after Foxy Jacks was rated 157 following his Cross Country Handicap win in November. Foxy Jacks is still rated just 147 in Ireland, but the British handicapper has decided to rate Morris' ten-year-old on-par with multiple Cheltenham Festival winner and 2022 Grand National third, Delta Work.

Mahler Mission was rated 155 following his runner-up finish in the Coral Gold Cup, and John McConnell's star had an extra three pounds added to that mark on Tuesday. James Du Berlais, Mr Incredible and Minella Cocooner will also run off marks that have been inflated by three pounds. As will Panda Boy, who needs 19 higher-rated runners to drop out to make the final 34-horse field.

Just seven of the 34 highest-rated Grand National entrants are trained in the UK. Welsh Grand National winner, Nassalam is the highest-rated home runner, ahead of Corach Rambler. Paul Nicholls' Threeunderthrufive, Nicky Henderson's Dusart, Joe Tizzard's Eldorado Allen and Dan Skelton's duo of Le Milos and Latenightpass are also guaranteed a place in the final field.

The fancied Monbeg Genius needs nine runners to drop out of the top 34 to claim a spot in the field. Galia Des Liteaux sits 49th in the currently list of entries, three places ahead of Kitty's Light, who was backed into 20/1 following Tuesday's ceremony.