It’s almost a century since a 13-year-old runner has won the Randox Aintree Grand National although age appears to be far from wearying a trio of Irish veterans heading into Saturday’s big race.
At an age when retirement beckons for many steeplechasers, Bless The Wings, Maggio and Raz De Maree are instead heading towards a potential date with racing immortality in the sport’s most gruelling test.
All three are guaranteed a place in the National field after Monday’s forfeit stage which sees 14 Irish-trained contenders in the maximum 40 places.
Willie Mullins’s Total Recall and Gordon Elliott’s Tiger Roll are among the favourites to become the 17th Irish-trained winner of the National since 1900.
However, at nine and eight years of respectively, they are youngsters compared to their veteran compatriots who have 153 career starts – and 21 victories – between them.
Both Bless The Wings and Maggio will have their first starts in the National but it will be a third go over the famous fences for Raz De Maree.
He was eighth to Pineau De Re in 2014 and last year lost his jockey at Bechers Brook first time round.
However, at an age when many horses have their peak behind them, Raz De Maree instead goes to Liverpool on the back of a career-best performance having landed the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow in January.
No 13 year old has won the most coveted ‘National’ of all since Sergeant Murphy in 1923. The only other 13 year old to win was Why Not in 1894.
Raz De Maree’s trainer Gavin Cromwell however reckons the only important ‘time’ component on Saturday will be in relation to how long the National takes to run.
Ground conditions at Aintree are currently soft but the more testing it gets the better it will suit Raz De Maree’s chances.
“They go off very quick and the key thing is whether he can stay in the race or not. As long as he doesn’t get detached he’ll be fine. He’s very slow. But the more of a test of stamina it is the better because he doesn’t know how to stop,” said Cromwell on Monday.
Old tune
The Co Meath-based trainer joked that both he and Bless The Wings’ trainer Gordon Elliott, as well as Patrick Griffin, who trains Maggio, are trying to “fill the field” with 13 year olds.
But even though the 100-1 shot Vics Canvass provided encouragement for the old-timers when third as a 13 year old in 2016, Cromwell doesn’t believe there’s a general trend towards racing careers being extended.
“It comes down to each horse’s enthusiasm, and soundness. Raz De Maree. is a very sound horse. He’s also relatively lightly raced and he’s still very enthusiastic. We seem to be getting a good old tune out of him. He’s definitely as good now as I’ve ever had him. But I can’t put it down to anything beyond that,” he said.
Aintree's clerk of the course, Andrew Tulloch, is predicting "slow" conditions for Saturday with damp weather expected in Liverpool this week.
“It looks a bit unsettled on Friday and we should ride on the slow side on Saturday. It just depends how much rain we get each night. ”On Sunday we were soft basically on the National course. We’ve had 10 degrees yesterday and today with sun but no wind. It will dry out slowly and not that quickly,” he said.
Bless The Wings has twice finished runner-up in the Irish Grand National and along with Tiger Roll and Ucello Conit is part of the three-pronged Elliott contingent among the top 40 for Saturday.
Willie Mullins has had to rule out an appearance on the Liverpool undercard for his star novice Footpad but can still send Pleasant Company and Children's List to the National alongside Total Recall.
Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud team has Tiger Roll, Valseur Lido and Rachael Blackmore’s likely mount, Alpha Des Obeaux, in the top 40 ahead of Thursday’s final declarations.
The Ryanair boss has two other horses, Thunder And Roses and Road To Riches, just outside the cut off point. They could take their chance in the event of any defections.
Tony Martin’s Cheltenham Gold Cup third, Anibale Fly, is also among the favourites while the veteran element to Ireland’s possible challenge could contain another JP McManus-owned star, Carlingford Lough.
Like Jim Culloty's 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Lord Windermere, he is a relative stripling at 12 years of age.
