David Pipe: 'If there's a formula for finding a National horse, I'd like to know it'

If you've been following the recent brouhaha over the overwhelming Irish presence in the entries for the Randox Grand National, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the 2023 winner of the great race already has a large shamrock brushed on to its backside.

Home-grown talent seems to be sorely under-represented, with just 31 British horses featuring in the list of 85 potential runners, apparently paving the way for a continuation of the recent trend that has seen the visitors fill the first three places in the last four runnings.

Even David Pipe, who saw his father Martin land the race in 1994, followed suit in 2008 with Comply Or Die and has spent the last 15 years trying to repeat the success, isn't denying the imbalance afflicting an event he treasures. But he isn't grumbling and he certainly hasn't written off his chances.