Felix de Giles booked for Roi Mage in Grand National as James Reveley loses race to be fit

Felix de Giles will ride Roi Mage in the Randox Grand National next Saturday after James Reveley lost his race against time to be fit for Aintree.

Roi Mage has been supported into a best-price 50-1 with Coral, having been as big as 100-1 last month, to win the race for the same owners who claimed the National with Auroras Encore in 2013.

The 11-year-old, trained by Patrick Griffin, ran an eyecatching trial at Down Royal last month when he finished a length and a quarter behind Longhouse Poet in second.

With Reveley unavailable, the Griffin team have opted to secure another leading jockey based in France in De Giles, who has ridden in the National when completing the course on Neptune Equester in 2012.

Roi Mage: stable star for the GriffinsCredit: Justin O'Hanlon (racingpost.com/photos)

Assistant trainer James Griffin said: "Unfortunately James is not coming back to ride for another two or three weeks. He rode out at the weekend and said his leg just wasn’t up to it.

"Felix de Giles is now confirmed and will take the ride. He has ridden the horse before, he was third on him in a Graded chase in France in 2021. The fact he has ridden in a Grand National and a couple of Becher Chases was a big swinging factor in going for him. He was always plan B and James has given it his approval so that’s why we chose him.

"The big thing for us was to get a jockey who had experience riding in a National."

Roi Mage is a multiple winner at Graded and Listed level in France and looks to be peaking at just the right time for Aintree. Excitement is building at the Oldtown stable and Griffin reported their stable star to be in fine fettle.

He said: "Roi Mage schooled on Monday and worked on Thursday so he has only one more blow to do and he’s ready to go. There’s rain due on Monday so hopefully the ground is on the slow side which would be ideal. He looks a million dollars."

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