Grand National Tips

Yorksea was a fair winner on the Flat for Freddie Head but he has developed into a much better hurdler for these connections, recording a career-best effort when resuming winning ways at Fontwell on Boxing Day.

He beat a next-time-out winner by six and a half lengths on that occasion and shaped much better than the result suggests when fourth in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last time. Yorksea was asked to do too much in the closing stages but was doing all of his best work at the finish. That form has been franked by the second since and Yorksea remains a horse to be positive about from this sort of mark.

No. 8

Yorksea (Ire)

Trainer: Gary Moore
Jockey: Niall Houlihan
Age: 5
Weight: 11st 2lbs
OR: 126

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The King of Ryhope - 16:25 Kempton

The King of Ryhope was a winner in points and he shaped with plenty of promise on his Rules debut two years later when runner-up to another promising sort at Carlisle in October.

A couple of errors at his obstacles didn't help his cause that day but he built on that promise when going one place better at Exeter last month, still showing signs of inexperience but also looking a classy operator. He was far from disgraced when third in a Grade 2 event at Haydock last time, coming from much further back than the two who beat him. The King of Ryhope really takes the eye on looks and should have even more to offer so he has strong claims of resuming winning ways.

No. 2