Grand National NAPs: Five tips from our writers ahead of Aintree's feature race

• Five tips from Betting.Betfair for the Grand National

• Daryl Carter is very keen on Vanillier

• Three writers all keen on last year's sixth

Daryl's French fancy

Vanillier looks well handicapped after attempting to give weight to Kemboy last time, and he comes alive in the spring and on good ground. The recent fitting of the cheek-pieces could spark further improvement yet, and he heads my list of five bets!

Interested to see how Daryl believes the Grand National will unfold? Read his runner-by-runner guide here.

Mark's money on Mesnil

Despite being technically still a novice, Gaillard Du Mesnil has plenty of experience over fences and has a touch of class to go with his proven stamina, a trait that was very much to the fore when he took the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last time.

That win showed he has staying power in abundance, and he looks the ideal type to flourish over the National fences provided he can take to them at the first time of asking. Bringing in the sort of profile rarely seen in this race, a mark of 155 looks a fair one for a horse who could well be better than a handicapper moving forward.

Dudman longing for redemption

Martin Brassil's Longhouse Poet finished sixth in the Grand National last season and went well for a long way before faltering in terms of stamina.

I still give him a chance of staying the trip as he's taken the tried and trusted prep races in Ireland with a Thyestes win last term and an attempt at the Bobbyjo this season - where he suffered an early mishap.

He's a strong traveller with some class, and I am backing him to stay the distance with a year under his belt, as his trainer felt he over-raced in last year's race and was too buzzed up. He certainly took to the fences well in 2022.

Asquith agrees with Alan

Longhouse Poet was too exuberant in the race itself to get home on his first start at a marathon trip in last year's Grand National, but he took to the course particularly well, shaping as well as any for a long way and jumping round like an old pro.

It is worth noting that was just his seventh start over fences and that experience certainly won't have been lost on him.

Longhouse Poet warmed up for this year's renewal with a win at Down Royal last month and, provided he can settle a little better this time round, he seems sure to be in the mix having been left on the same mark as 12 months ago.

Mike weighs in with his selection

Longhouse Poet travelled like a dream in this race last year when a well-fancied 12/1 shot, disputing the lead two out before stamina appeared to become an issue that resulted in him to tire and eventually finish sixth.

Some may say that those stamina concerns will be an issue again, but there's a few things in his favour to negate those worries, not least that he is a year older and has the experience of the unique Grand National course.

He's also a proven multiple winner on soft/heavy ground who goes into the race on the back of a win in a contest regarded as a good Grand National trial (he went into last year's race on the back of a well-beaten seventh over hurdles).

And perhaps crucially, trainer Martin Brassil has no stamina concerns whatsoever, saying that Longhouse Poet got too lit up on the second circuit 12 months ago, hence him running out of petrol at the death.

If they can hold onto him a bit longer on Saturday then it's difficult to see him being out of the first sixth for each-way bettors.