2024 Grand National Tips - Could Emmet have another novice lined up for Aintree?

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 07 Feb 2024

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Jon Vine 07 Feb 2024

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Ante-post tips for the 2024 Grand National
This huge handicap takes place at Aintree on Saturday 13th April
We've backed Corbetts Cross at 40/1

Noble Yeats (right) winning the Grand National in 2022. (Getty)

2024 may only be a couple of weeks old, but it's never too early to look towards the big meetings during the second half of the National Hunt season.

The Dublin Racing Festival is just around the corner. Trials Day takes place at Cheltenham at the end of this month, after which the Cheltenham Festival will roll around in the blink of an eye.

The Grand National looms large on the horizon too and, today, I've picked out a 40/1 shot who has the potential to challenge for the world's most famous handicap.

2024 Grand National Ante-Post Tips - Corbetts Cross

Emmet Mullins pulled off the incredible feat of winning the Grand National with a novice two years ago, when Noble Yeats carried an SP of 50/1 into the winner's enclosure. Mullins may be eyeing a similar route to Aintree for fellow novice CORBETTS CROSS (40/1), who has already qualified for the Grand National through his performances this season.

Unlike Noble Yeats, Corbetts Cross gained plenty of experience as a novice hurdler. Mullins' star carried the tag of favouritism into the Albert Bartlett after beating Found A Fifty to land the Grade Two Johnstown Novice Hurdle. Mark Walsh's mount was still in there pitching approaching the last at Cheltenham, but jinked violently right just before the hurdle and Corbetts Cross crashed out of the contest.

Mullins' seven-year-old has run three times over fences during the first half of the campaign. Following a third-place finish behind Grangeclare West on debut, Corbetts' Cross defeated Threeunderthrufive and Montys Star to claim his first victory at Fairyhouse in December. Walsh's mount then bumped into Grangeclare West again at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, plugging on well in the closing stages to finish a decent second.

Mullins has entered his budding stable star in the Turners Novices' Chase and the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival. Corbetts Cross has also been entered for the National Hunt Challenge Cup where, being the only entrant carrying the colours of owner JP McManus, he would presumably be ridden by top amateur Derek O'Connor.

Gaillard Du Mesnil was already a Grade One winner when he scored in the 2023 National Hunt Chase. Willie Mullins' star was then handed a mark of 155 by the British handicapper and managed to finish third off that rating in the Grand National, where he carried a weight of 11-00. Corbetts Cross was rated 148 over hurdles and, so far, the results he's gained over fences would only warrant a marginally higher chasing mark.

Emmet Mullins, who likes to think outside the box when campaigning his horse, will already be considering a tilt at the Grand National and a rating in the low 150s would leave the talented Corbetts Cross shouldering an extremely manageable burden.

Update

Wasn't even entered. Dream over.

Verdict

Corbetts Cross will have to brush up on his jumping before running in the 2024 Grand National. Good performances at the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham would set Emmet Mullins' novice up perfectly for a tilt at Aintree's biggest prize. If confirmed, Corbetts Cross won't go off at a price even close to 40/1. I'm going to snap it up while it lasts!

Corbetts Cross

2024 Grand National

@40/1 - 10 Units

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