'It could be a struggle to get in the Grand National - but no need to panic'

Evan Williams is virtually resigned to Secret Reprieve being denied a crack at the Randox Grand National for the second year in a row.

The chaser missed the cut for the race by two last season, despite having won the Welsh Grand National Trial and the Welsh National itself by an aggregate of 15 lengths.

And his trainer fears he will not make the final field for Aintree this April either, having finished a remote fifth in his bid for a repeat success in the Chepstow showpiece in December on his first run for nearly a year.

Randox Grand National entries and betting

Secret Reprieve's latest BHA rating of 138 puts him in the bottom half of those with published marks among the 107 entries for the National and Williams admitted: "He's highly unlikely to get in.

"The handicapper dropped him a couple of pounds after the Welsh National. In old-fashioned Nationals and even four or five years ago he'd have got in but in the modern-day National it could be a struggle.

"He's a horse of whom I always thought that this was his job but that's the way it is and he could get there one day. There's no need to panic."

A difficult autumn meant the eight-year-old went to Chepstow without a prep run and Williams said: "This season hasn't gone to plan at all but seasons can change, if you're not in it you can't win it. We couldn't get going in the autumn and running first time out in the Welsh National was never ideal. I don't think it was a bad run considering that."

Plans for Secret Reprieve's next appearance remain fluid and his trainer said: "He's in the National Trial at Haydock and you wouldn't rule out going to Scotland, given when the Scottish National is this season. And I wouldn't rule out going to the Cheltenham Festival for the Ultima or something like that."

Lake View Lad, who won the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree last season, fell at the first fence in the National in 2021 and has not been entered for the race this term.

Lake View Lad (near side): fell at the first fence in the Grand National last seasonCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He was pulled up in last month's Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock and trainer Nick Alexander said: "The plan is to go to the Eider Chase and then the Scottish National.

"He ran well for a long way last time but he got tired and I think he needs help from the handicapper."

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