Grand National Tips: Paul Jacobs' value plays for Aintree spectacle

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

Yes, it’s a different race to yesteryear, yes the fences are easier and yes it is more like an ordinary staying chase, BUT it’s still the Grand National and with Paddy Power offering Non Runner No Bet we can have a couple of left of centre picks with the guarantee we will, at least, get our dosh back if they don’t line up on April 5th.

Grand National value tips

Nick Rockett
Hewick
Three Card Brag
Senior Chief
Capodanno

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

NICK ROCKETT

Although much worse off with Minella Cocooner on Sandown Gold Cup form 12 months ago, this son of Walk In the Park is a totally different model now. NICK ROCKETT readily won the Thyestes at Gowran Park and then followed up smoothly in the Bobbyjo Chase which he was entitled to do at the weights. Fully 15lbs worse off with Intense Raffles for that success, a first attempt at four miles plus should be perfect and he is my choice of those in the top six in the market.

HEWICK

This amazing stayer is kind of the forgotten horse in the race. Since unseating at the last fence off a mark of 163 in the 2022 Kerry National he has only run in graded races. Good ground would be a bonus and although HEWICK will need to be near his best off 162, the extra yardage could be a huge plus.

THREE CARD BRAG

Staying was always going to be the name of the game for this galloper as his last two runs at Navan have shown. But I think the better ground here could see him take a massive step forward allied to the extra distance. I think he has been ridden way too forcefully this season and I’m hoping a mid-div ride will see THREE CARD BRAG to much better effect.

SENIOR CHIEF

Campaigned with this race in mind all season, this spring ground bay won nicely at Cheltenham off 142 before a cracking staying on effort in the Gold Cup at Newbury after getting out of his ground. Heavy ground wasn’t SENIOR CHIEF’s thing on his warm up over hurdles at Naas and with only six runs over fences he could take a big step forward again, as he must do, to land the world’s greatest race.

CAPADANNO

Before he ran in his first National in 2023, trainer Willie Mullins said about the then then seven-year-old that CAPADANNO was made for the race. Indeed it was only after the third last that he weakened and then last year only he backed out after the penultimate fence. A year older and a stronger model and down to a mark of 157 he can possibly take another step forward.