Izzy Phillips - My Grand National Team

4:00 Aintree

Grand National

Selection: Haiti Couleurs, Mr Vango, Jagwar, Imperial Saint

Haiti Couleurs really struggled in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival; he was reported by Sean Bowen as having run flat. One thing is for sure: he’s a classy horse, and it seems that those classier horses have had a better record in the National in recent years. He’s got an Irish and Welsh National under his belt already. He’s already had a positive comeback story this season after he ran flat st Haydock and then dominated in the Welsh National at Chepstow. Here’s hoping he can do the same again.

Mr Vango hasn’t had an ideal season, with some rumours of a slight setback having impacted his last couple of runs. However, he is a horse with bags of stamina, and he relished the Grand National fences here in the Becher in December. Hopefully, he can find some of that magic again.

I’ve always liked Jagwar, and I have to be honest, he really surprised me with how well he stayed at Cheltenham despite numerous jumping errors. He’s got to sort those errors out if he’s going to win the Grand National, but the fences aren’t what they once were. He’s off a nice weight and should go well.

Due to a couple of non-runners, Imperial Saint will get to take his place in the Grand National. He was badly hampered at Cheltenham, but you have to think he may have been capable of finishing closer if it wasn’t for that. He could also be part of a complete fairytale for one of racing’s greatest ever jockeys, Richard Johnson. He owns the syndicate programme for this horse. He had 21 rides in the Grand National and never won, could this be his time to win one from the other side of the rails? He’s won punters so much money over the years; I don’t think anyone would begrudge him this.