FOR all that many proclaim the Grand National changed utterly, a glance at its recent winners would not back up that opinion.

Yes, the weight compression, added to the amount of top class horses in the Grade 1s, have pushed a better class of horse into the year’s biggest handicap.

Many Clouds, Silviniaco Conti, Gilgamboa, Morning Assembly, Sir Des Champs and Rule The World had all competed in Grade 1 company.

But Pineau De Re and Auroras Encore could have fitted into any era. For Rule The World read Royal Athlete or Bindaree.

The Grand National also reiterated the current strength of the Irish-trained horse, even down into the top handicaps. After having no winners since Silver Birch in 2007, five of the first six home were Irish, all deserving praise.

In third Vics Canvas would have been every bit as worthy a winner, and just as much of a fairytale but he ran a heroic race, at 13 years old, not over big and overcoming a terrible sprawl at Becher’s for a trainer not known outside Ireland.

It was suggested earlier in the year that putting larger amounts of prize money onto handicaps was only attracting the bigger owners. You could argue it looks that way as Alan Potts won the Galway Plate, J.P. McManus, the Troytown; Gigginstown, the Kerry, Irish and now the Aintree Grand National. It’s not just the prize money, it’s the quality of the top horses that is forcing better animals into big handicaps. But it’s the only hope of a big pay day for an ordinary horse. The run of Vics Canvas shows that smaller trainers can still dream.