Which Horses Like Soft Ground at the Grand National | Parimatch

The Aintree Racetrack and National Course – What you need to know

The Grand National is run at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside over an approximate distance of four miles and 2 ½ furlongs.  

The course is also populated with 30 challenging fences, with participating runners having to complete two laps to win one of horse racing’s biggest prizes. The fences are formidable despite recent modifications implemented to help protect horses and jockeys alike. 

The National course is also notoriously left-handed and flat and typically suits galloping types who travel, jump well and have the stamina to stay the course after the final fence.  

This is because the course has a long run-in and final straight after the last fence, costing many frontrunners their chance of glory. 

What Conditions are usually found at the Grand National?

The Grand National takes place in April every year, creating a unique set of challenges and occasionally problematic ground. 

April sees an average of 72.9mm of rain per month, for example, often creating heavy and dangerous ground ahead of the National. While pioneering groundsmanship techniques have helped to protect runners and riders, iterations of the race are still commonly held in soft and good-to-soft going. 

This certainly favours runners who thrive in such conditions, and this is borne out through various trends and statistics, too. For example, the trend factor that has produced 10+ winners and demonstrates the best LSP (level stakes profit) is when runners ran on soft ground in their previous race. 

This could have something to do with the time of year, of course, but runners who are familiar with the soft and good-to-soft ground and capable of performing well in such conditions will have a competitive edge at Aintree. 

Which 2024 runners like soft ground?

While the 2024 Grand National line-up has yet to be confirmed, our odds reveal several likely runners who have previously enjoyed success at Aintree. But how do these horses generally fare in soft and good-to-soft going, and how is this impacting their ante-post horse racing odds? Let’s investigate: 

• #1. Corach Rambler (IRE): Our ante-post odds place Corach Rambler among the favourites to win the 2024 National, with the Lucinda Russell-trained 2023 winner currently priced at 14/1*. This seasoned, 10-year-old gelding has recorded five steeplechase wins in his career, four of which have been achieved in soft or good-to-soft going. Of his seven career rules race wins, six of these have come in similar conditions. So, he’s well placed to win again at Aintree in 2024 and repeat last year’s triumph. 

• #2. Gaillard Du Mesnil (FRA): This 7-year-old WP Mullins-trained runner is the young pretender to Corach Rambler’s crown, while he’s also priced at 14/1* with Parimatch. Gaillard Du Mesnil produced a superb and gutsy finish to place third at Aintree last year, while both of his chase career wins to date were achieved in soft going. All six of his rules race wins have also come in either soft, good-to-soft or heavy conditions, while his proven ability to last the course will also make him a key contender in 2024. 

• #3. I Am Maximus (FRA): While I Am Maximus will be making his debut at Aintree if he lines up for the 2024 Grand National, this eight-year-old gelding (who’s also from the Willie Mullins stable) is in good form and priced at 20/1 to prevail. He’s won two of his previous three steeplechase outings over two miles or more (both at Fairyhouse in April and December 2023), while these victories came in soft going. Each of his four career rules race wins has come in soft or good-to-soft conditions, too, including the Irish Grand National last year. 

• #4. Monbeg Genius (IRE): While Monbeg Genius endured a challenging end to 2023, this eight-year-old gelding remains a 16/1* shot to win the 2024 Grand National. Trained superbly by Jonjo O’Neill (who won the race in 2010 with ‘Don’t Push It’), Monbeg Genius has won on three of his seven steeplechase outings, prevailing in soft or good-to-soft going each time. Four of his five career rules race wins have come in similar conditions, although he has never competed over four miles before. 

• #5. Mahler Mission (IRE): Irish gelding Mahler Mission has never raced at Aintree or competed over four miles or more. However, our ante-post odds price him at 16/1 to win in 2024, partly thanks to his superb second-place finish at the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase in December 2023. Here, he travelled strongly throughout in good-to-soft going, while his sole career steeplechase win (at Navan in January 2023) was also achieved on soft/heavy ground. He may offer particular value as an each-way bet, but note that his price will likely drift as the event draws closer! 

Clearly, many of the 2024 Grand National contenders fare well in soft and good-to-soft going, but runners like Corach Rambler and Gaillard Du Mesnil have the added distinction of previously performing well at Aintree and over the relevant distance. 

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*Odds are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change

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