Aintree Grand National Tips: Nine picks from Betfair's best

• Mark Milligan goes with an 9/110.00 chance

• Ryan McCue looking for the Irish to win again

• Rhys Williams fancies one at a big price

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Mark Milligan - Vanillier 9/110.00

This year's Grand National very much revolves around last year's 1-2 in my eyes, with Corach Rambler sure to take all the beating in his follow-up bid.

However, while clearly right at the top of his game following his recent Cheltenham Gold Cup third, there's little mileage in his current price of 4/15.00 and I'm happy to take last year's runner-up to turn the tables on much better terms.

While Lucinda Russell's charge took to the National fences like an absolute natural last year, Vanillier hardly shaped badly himself, particularly given where he came from in relation to the winner.

Still no better than ninth at two out (eight lengths behind the eventual winner), and only a place nearer over the last. He mustered the sort of surge that had carried him to a clear-cut Albert Bartlett win in 2021, Vanillier finished with even more to give despite the marathon trip.

Some of his best efforts have come in cheekpieces (including in the last year's race) and it's notable they'd been left off this season until last time out, where he finished an encouraging second to I Am Maximus at Fairyhouse (An Irish Grand National winner).

Everything appears to have been geared around another tilt at the National for Vanillier, and this year he receives 8lb from Corach Rambler having had to concede weight to him last season.

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Ryan McCue - Panda Boy 10/111.00

With the ground being vitally important for this year's renewal given all the bad weather we are getting, one that will handle conditions is Panda Boy.

He's promised a big handicap such as this for a while now and I like the prep he's had for this.

He ran a blinder in the Paddy Power at Christmas behind Meetingofthewaters, with whom he's 11lbs better off with here.

He then backed that up with a very solid run in a staying handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The fact connections skipped Cheltenham should count as a positive and he looks very interesting off a lovely low weight, with lots in his favour for a trainer who has won this in the past.

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Rhys Williams - Roi Mage 40/141.00

Roi Mage has plenty of miles on the clock but he's still showing that he's got plenty of enthusiasm and I think he could improve on his seventh place in last year's race.

He ran well for a long way last year, having jumped well, until getting tired late on and he was reported to have had an interrupted preparation. Things have gone smoother this time and he had a nice prep run at Down Royal last time when staying on well to finish second having been outpaced coming down the hill.

Maybe he will be vulnerable to younger legs but the likely soft ground will be no issue for him and I think he could run well at a big price.

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Mike Norman - Vanillier 9/110.00

I believe you can do a lot worse than to back last year's runner-up Vanillier to go one better.

He was given a lot to do 12 months ago, being held-up out the back before making steady progress during the latter stages of the race. He jumped the last 12 lengths behind winner Corach Rambler, but ran on strongly to be beaten just over two lengths, seemingly doing his best work at the finish over the marathon trip.

Vanillier has been brought along steadily this season having an eyecatching campaign that should set him up perfectly for a second crack at the National. Running in three races he had little chance of being competitive in - presumably to maintain his fitness - before running a very respectable race when runner-up in the Bobbyjo Chase six weeks ago.

That looks to have been a perfect prep run ahead of the 2024 renewal at Aintree, and purely on last year's form he has every chance of reversing the form with Corach Rambler on 9lb better terms.

Now that we know he stays, and with experience of the race, I fully expect Vanillier to be ridden with more confidence, and providing he puts in a clear round of jumping it's hard to envisage him not being in the frame at least.

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James Mackie - Mahler Mission 14/115.00

Like Mark and Mike, I too think Vanillier makes plenty of appeal but at the current price of 8/19.00 I am not sure how much juice is left in that and I like another for the Irish raiders at double the price.

Mahler Mission for trainer John McConnell has been perfectly set up for a good crack at this race all season, and having stamina in abundance he ticks a lot of boxes.

The ground is likely to see very few finishers of the great race this term, and ideally quicker ground might suit this gelding better, but having proven form on soft/heavy ground, I will take my chance.

He really made a name for himself when unfortunately coming down two out at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival when clear of his rivals in the National Hunt Chase over 3m6f.

Put away for the rest of last year's campaign, he returned with National in mind and having only been twice this term he will be fresher than most, which won't harm his chances at all.

Second on seasonal debut in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase over an inadequate trip of 2m4f, it was a solid first outing of the season.

Left on a mark of 151 for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, he ran a stormer to again play the bridesmaid behind the late Datsalrightgino.

Running off a mark of 158 here having not been seen since, he has all the credentials of a horse that can go close and at his price of 16/1 I think he looks the value in the field.

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Andy Robson - Meetingofthewaters 8/19.00

Following on from a dominant victory at Leopardstown over fellow Grand National rival Panda Boy, Meetingofthewaters secured a strong third place finish in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival and looks an excellent pick for this year's Grand National.

Meetingofthewaters, while only managing third, gave an impressive run in the Ultima and looked to have much more in the tank after the last fence at the 2024 Festival.

The Ultima is a race known for finding Grand National winning horses. Of late they have been Corach Rambler winning the Ultima in 2022 and 2023 and Noble Yeats finishing 9th in the contest in 2022 before
his Aintree victory.

Meetingofthewaters had his Grand National weight of 10-7 locked in before his Festival appearance which now looks a bargain of a handicap considering he was a whopping 15 lbs heavier at Cheltenham.

His four career wins have all come on soft-going ground, which is likely to be the case on Saturday, so the forecast running up to the festival does not bode much concern.

He was encouraging enough on heavy ground in the Ultima to show that he
can be a strong contender in all conditions. A proven stayer, his jumping improving each race and some recent strong market support all point to a strong Grand National contender for JP McManus.

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Tipman - I Am Maximus 7/18.00

The Willie Mullins trained-8-year-old has a significant piece of form when trouncing Vanillier who was a closing 2nd in last years National recently in the Bobbyjo Chase.

Previously a Grade 1 winner, he has looked progressive over the longer trips in the last 18 months and he's been very versatile with conditions.

Obviously you will need some luck in-running in the race that stops the nation but he represents some real class in this field and should go very well.

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Brendan Duke - Kitty's Light 14/115.00

I generally approach the National with one word in mind. Stamina. The race seems to be run at an end-to-end gallop nowadays and my hunch is that few truly see it out. Conditions are likely to be testing this year and Corach Rambler looks a worthy favourite but I'll chance something at a bigger price.

Step forward Kitty's Light. This horse would probably prove effective over 10 miles. He was the toast of punters last spring, going off the well-backed winner of three valuable staying handicaps. The last of those wins, in the Bet 365 Gold Cup, came off a mark of 140.

This upwardly mobile sort can surely be competitive off 146 here. He has mixed hurdling and chasing this season, and 14/115.00 is the shortest price he has gone off in those five runs.

It's likely that trainer Christian Williams has worked back from this race all season. I'd prefer better ground, and a horse with his hold up run style will need a bit of luck but we can't have everything in life.

Odds of 14/115.00 looks a fair price though he'll probably be that price after declarations. Four horses ahead of him on the list need to defect. That seems likely to happen.

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Alan Dudman - I Am Maximus 7/18.00

As one of the market leaders, a lot of hopes are pinned on I Am Maximus to follow the route from winning the Bobbyjo Chase last time and he hammered Vanillier in that by a huge 14L.

Fairyhouse has been a kind track to I Am Maximus too with a win in the Irish Grand National last term off 149.

His jumping has been crabbed, and that's fair, as he seems to have his own way of doing things and can jump out to his left, but he has plenty of form in heavy and soft conditions and he's officially well in from his Irish mark of 164 and runs from 159.

The hope is that he takes to the fences, and he's a Grade 1 winner of the Drinmore too over 2m4f.

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