Donn McClean

INTERESTING fact about the Grand National 1: In 1957 it was returned from Saturday to its original Friday slot in an effort to stem falling attendances in a racecourse-moves-big-race-from-Saturday-to-weekday shock.

Shutthefrontdoor has been a player in the 2016 Grand National picture for 12 months now, ever since he ran in the race last year. He raced with the choke out then through the early stages of the race, he wanted to go faster than rider A.P. McCoy wanted him to go.

Even so, he travelled best of all to the home turn. The fairytale ending looked on, victory for the most successful National Hunt rider of all time in his final Grand National.

Alas, Shutthefrontdoor’s needle hit the red zone at the second last fence, his first-circuit exertions taking their toll, and he faded to finish fifth.

J.P. McManus’ horse was only eight last year. Okay, so Many Clouds won it as an eight-year-old last year, confounding the age statistic, the one that says that you have to be 10 or 11, or nine at least, but not really eight. Shutthefrontdoor should be better equipped for the test that the National presents this year as a nine-year-old.

Interesting fact about the Grand National 2: The horse who caused the Foinavon incident at the Foinavon fence (coincidence or what?) was the well-named Popham Down.

More than that, the Accordion gelding went into last year’s race without a run since the previous November. Circumstances conspired against his prep run. He was fresher than ideal, and that freshness manifested itself in his keenness through the early stages of the race.

This year, he has had a run since he finished third in a Pertemps qualifier at Aintree in November.

Okay, it wasn’t a great run, it was in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury early last month, and he was pulled up. But he returned with an abscess on his foot, so you can easily allow him that.

We know that he has class, we know that he can jump the fences well, and we know that he stays. A previous Irish Grand National winner who has been trained for the race, he has a lot of the attributes that you look for in a National winner.

He gets to race today off a handicap mark of 152, which is 1lb lower than the mark off which he raced last year as an eight-year-old who hadn’t had an ideal preparation. And he will have the not inconsiderable assistance of Barry Geraghty, who has chosen to ride him in front of Gallant Oscar and Gilgamboa and Pendra. All looks set for a big run.

Interesting fact about the Grand National 3: In 1947, in the first Saturday Grand National, Caughoo won at 100/1 in the fog amid claims that rider Eddie Dempsey had taken a short cut.

All looks set for a big run too from Saint Are. Placed horses from the previous year have a poor win record, but Tom George’s horse ran a cracker last year to finish second to Many Clouds.

He is an Aintree horse, this is his track and this is his time of year. He won the Sefton Hurdle at this meeting in 2011 and he won the three-mile handicap chase here in 2012. He also finished third in the Becher Chase in 2014 as well as putting up that monstrous effort to finish second in the National last year.

He has been trained for today for the last 12 months. He didn’t run badly in the Becher Chase on unsuitably soft ground last December, but he ran a cracker to win a three-mile handicap chase at Doncaster in February on better ground.

Interesting fact about the Grand National 4: Manifesto was the quintessential Grand National horse, probably more so even than Red Rum. He only won the race twice, the first in 1897, but he finished third in it three times and fourth in it once, running in the race eight times in total. Nobody is certain whether or not he would have got into today’s race off his handicap rating.

That was probably a career-best performance from Saint Are, so he comes into today’s race in the form of his life. The handicapper raised him 4lb for that win but, because the weights had already been framed, he gets to race off his old mark, so he is 4lb well-in.

That means that he gets to race off a mark of 146, which is just 3lb higher than the mark off which he finished second last year. He is 2lb better off with Many Clouds for a two-length beating, and he is twice his price.

Also, Saint Are is a 10-year-old who is set to carry a low weight of 10st 5lb, which is ideal. It is arguable that he will be better-equipped for the rigours of the National this year than he was even last year as a nine-year-old, and the fact that he probably put up a career-best last time merely complements that notion.

Tom George has his horses in great form - the record of his last 12 runners reads 132115123511- and Paddy Brennan is riding like a man inspired these days.

Interesting fact about the Grand National 5: It is just the most fascinating horse race in the world.

RECOMMENDED

SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR, 1 point each-way, 20/1 (generally [guaranteed, 5 places])

SAINT ARE, 1 point each-way, 16/1 (generally [guaranteed, 5 places])