Irish trainers, jockeys and horses well and truly dominated the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, and a second wave of an Irish invasion could take over Aintree in April.
Irish horses dominate the list of potential Grand National runners, with many of them sitting at the sharp end of the betting market. Given how good the Irish showing was at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, expectations of an Irish winner at Aintree are realistic.
Powerhouse Irish trainer Willie Mullins continued to be the cream of the crop at Cheltenham, claiming nine victories. That haul was good enough for him to land the top trainer title at the festival for the sixth consecutive year.
Mullins’ horses feature heavily at the head of the market for the iconic race at Aintree. I Am Maximus is his most heavily fancied runner. The eight-year-old won the 2023 Irish Grand National and looks set for a positive run at Aintree this year.
Mullins wasn’t the only Irish trainer who performed well at Cheltenham. Gordon Elliott and Henry De Bromhead both had successful trips across the Irish Sea. Elliott claimed three festival victories, and De Bromhead landed two.
Gordon Elliot has several horses currently entered in the 2024 Grand National, but none have attracted much support. Given how he landed his first Grand National victory, guiding 33-1 Silver Birch to victory in 2007, backing Elliott trained outsiders Galvin or Chemical Energy could be an astute move.
Henry De Bromhead’s partnership with superstar jockey Rachael Blackmore has already produced an Aintree Grand National win. Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the historic contest when she rode Minella Times to victory in 2021. Minella Indo provides the biggest hope that the partnership will repeat its triumph in 2024.
Recent Aintree history is another factor that points to the possibility of an Irish victory in the 2024 Grand National. Irish trained horses have won four of the last six runnings of the year’s biggest jumps race.
Corach Rambler and Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell provide the biggest challenge for the Ireland-based runners. Last year’s winner is the bookmaker’s favourite to retain his Grand National title.
