Aintree Grand National Each Way Ante-Post Selections

The first of our each way shouts in the Grand National is the Tom Lacey trained Kimberlite Candy, who is a stout stayer that has been primed for this race all season and at 16/1 we think he has a big each way squeak.

The nine year old heads into the event off a mark of 153 which sees him getting a workable weight against some of the better horses in the contest.

The gelding has been highly consistent over staying trips during his career and having been really lightly raced over the last years it seems as though a got at this race has been in the offing for some time.

Back in December 2019 he headed to Aintree for the first time in his career in the Grade Three Becher Chase over the National horses and was a superb second of 18 behind Walk In The Mill.

From there, in January 2020 he headed to Warwick for his final run of that season when winning the Grade Three Classic Handicap Chase over 3m5f by 10 lengths.

He was probably being aimed at last year's Grand National, but with it being postponed the team turned their attention to this seasons renewal.

With that in mind he has only been seen once to keep fresh and once again he was a good second in the Becher Chase in December, finishing in behind the veteran Vieux Lion Rouge.

Having only three runs in the last two seasons should see him fresher than most for this event and at 16/1 he looks a big player for JP McManus, being a proven stayer and jumper of these fences.

We do think that this season's Grand National will go to owner JP McManus with our second 16/1 each way selection Minella Times, also sporting the green and yellow silks.

Henry De Bromhead is a trainer that can do very little wrong at the moment, landing six winners at the Cheltenham festival, including being the first handler in the history of the sport to land the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Champion Chase at the same festival.

In the Grand National his leading chance looks to Minella Times, who off a mark of 146 could have some serious weight in hand, if staying the monster trip.

A highly consistent gelding for the yard, he has been running in big fielded handicaps all season to a decent level, not finishing out of the top two on all three of his runs this term.

He made his seasonal debut at Listowel over 2m6f and got off the a winning start and then backed that up next time out when a good second behind Castlebawn West in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas.

Last time out he was another decent second at Leopardstown in February behind Off You Go, with the form of that race working out really nicely.

It looks as though his season has been geared towards Aintree and if handling the extra distance should be a big player for a thriving yard off a low weight.