YOU know the way that, going into last year’s Grand National, seven of the previous 10 winners had raced between 10 and 14 times over fences? And that, consequently, there was a probability of 0.7, a 70% chance (it’s high-level statistical analysis, honestly) that the winner would come from this group: Wonderful Charm, Ballynagour, Buywise, Gallant Oscar, Rule The World, Vics Canvas, Black Thunder, Ballycasey, Hadrian’s Approach, Home Farm, The Romford Pele? And you know the way that that group provided the 33/1 winner and the 100/1 third from just 11 representatives?

Well, this year it’s eight of the last 11 (that’s a 73% chance), and here’s this year’s group: The Last Samuri, Saphir Du Rheu, Roi Des Francs, Wounded Warrior, Blaklion, Drop Out Joe, Le Mercurey, The Young Master, Regal Encore, Ucello Conti, Double Shuffle, One For Arthur, O’Faolains Boy, Vicente, Stellar Notion, Cocktails At Dawn and La Vaticane.