'You need young, progressive stayers and run them when they still have some miles in them and their handicap marks'

Handicapper Martin Greenwood highlighted how the Randox Grand National has become a race for younger horses as he revealed the weights for this year's contest.

Ten horses aged ten or older won the National in the years between 2001 and 2014, but youth has now taken charge, with five winning eight-year-olds and one seven-year-old since.

"The Irish trainers latched on to it before the British did, but ours are now entering horses like Iroko and Kandoo Kid, who have had six or seven runs and are unexposed," said Greenwood, who was framing the handicap for the seventh time in 2025.

"I'm guessing with the alterations to the course, trainers are more willing to put their unexposed horses in the race. Under the old system of waiting until a horse had been placed in the Eider and then run in the National at 11, those horses are going to get lapped.

"You need young, progressive potential stayers and run them when they still have some miles in them and their handicap marks. That's what they now do on both sides of the Irish Sea."

Greenwood hopes Britain may provide ten of the final field of 34 when the £1 million race is run on April 5.

"There are more, better British horses entered," he said. "Looking down to those in the top 34 and level, there are 15 horses rated 150 and upwards, so there should definitely be more than the six who ran last year – there should have been seven but Chambard was a non-runner. Double figures looks a possibility."

Asked about the quality of the race, he said: "There are 41 horses rated 150 or more, which is the most since 2020. It's way up to standard."

Iroko (left), Delta Work (centre) and Stumptown feature among the Grand National entries

No special treatment for eyecatching runners

Greenwood stressed there was no special treatment for Iroko and Delta Work due to their controversial last runs before the weights for the Randox Grand National were published.

The pair attracted the attention of the stewards and were the subject of much social media comment after eyecatching efforts when finishing fourth at Cheltenham last month.

"There is only so much a handicapper can do," Greenwood said. "I realised there were stewards inquiries and I watched the rides. I noted what the stewards said and decided the best course of action was to leave them on their mark.

"To be fair, on the mathematics, Iroko actually ran almost to his mark. And Delta Work would almost certainly have been 157 anyway.

"Delta Work is 151 in Ireland and 157 here, which he ran off when second last year in the National. I'm taking that run as still the best guide; the Irish seem to have been a bit more generous."

Greenwood highlighted a significant difference with Ireland in his treatment of Stumptown.

"The Irish don't take into account cross-country form and we do," he said. "So he's about 8lb different here. He won a really good cross-country race at Cheltenham and could run well.

"I try to treat everything the same in every race, whether it be a seller at Plumpton or the Grand National – the same rules should apply. This is just more high-profile with more prize-money."

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