AINTREE 17:15

Non Runners: O'FAOLAINS BOY (IRE). Fences: 30.

Time: 9m 29.9s Closing Sectional: (6.28f): 97.4s (107%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 149%, Betfair SP 107.3%

An emblematic Grand National, confirmation if any were needed of the effectiveness of the much-discussed recent modifications to start position, size of fences and overall distance, stamina and jumping still tested like in no other race in the calendar yet with an uplifting subplot of all 39 participants living to fight another day; the later off time resulted in the track taking more rain than it would have done in a more customary afternoon slot, more pulling up than falling/unseating as conditions took a toll, with 5 of the first 6 home Irish-trained, as 3 of the first 4 had been the last time the race was run on ground this testing in 2006; the early pace steadied on the final circuit, and around half the finishers still had a chance entering the straight, the first 3, all from contrasting backgrounds but no less relishing the examination, going clear between the last 2.

RULE THE WORLD chose the biggest possible stage to open his chasing account, the first maiden to land the National since 1884, though not many in the interim can have boasted his ability, runner-up in a Neptune in his novice hurdle days before injury (twice fractured pelvis) intervened, testament to his trainer - responsible also for this year's winner of the Irish version - for getting him back; Rule The World had himself found only one too good in the previous year's Irish National, and this first try since at a marathon trip proved key, doing well to even recover from his second mistake 4 out (had earlier pecked at second Becher's) let alone have enough left to forge to the front just after the elbow, finding bundles and no little improvement to master the pick of the weights; he'll be young enough to have another crack next year, though conditions have only twice come up as testing as this since the turn of the century, soft or heavy going probably key to him given those past physical problems.

THE LAST SAMURI (IRE) had to give best to one who improved plenty for the trip yet emerged with bundles of credit himself, almost the perfect ending to an outstanding first season with this stable, coping superbly with the demands of the race and giving his all in defeat, the extreme trip as expected right up his street; his jumping was superb, belying his relative lack of stature, and, having pressed on 4 out, he tried most determinedly to repel all challengers, working hard to see off Vics Canvas only to succumb to the winner's surge inside the final 1f, continuing to respond even once his measure had been taken; he's got a year on Rule The World in terms of likely National longevity, though never again will he have a better chance at the weights, due as he is a 12 lb rise.

VICS CANVAS (IRE) outdid the likes of Oscar Time (fourth in 2013), Amberleigh House (2004 winner) and Brave Highlander (fourth 2000) as the oldest frame finisher in the race this century, the first of his age to finish placed since Rondetto filled the same position in 1969, doing much to highlight how far course experience can get a National runner, having been fifth in the Becher on his first try as recently as December; admittedly, he's no typical 13-y-o - he didn't make the track at all until 2010 and was sent chasing only last season - but he's a veteran nonetheless, and his effort was all the more remarkable considering the severity of the mistake he made at Becher's first time around, when he was all but down, somehow coaxed back in the mix by the twenty-fifth and even laying down a stern challenge from 2 out, giving best only inside the final 1f.

GILGAMBOA (IRE) displayed previously unforeseen stamina to reach the frame for the second time in as many starts in a major handicap this season, a highly encouraging display with a view to more of them next season, the overriding feeling he's still to show his maximum, lightly raced for an 8-y-o after all; he jumped soundly bar an error at the first Canal Turn, got into contention smoothly and, having looked set to drop away once shaken up approaching 2 out, ran on again to close the gap to the admittedly tiring third, well clear of the remainder.

GOONYELLA (IRE) is no Aintree natural but was able to express himself more than in his 2 previous tries in the shorter-distance Becher Chase, still no threat to the principals though as he closed all too late (only ninth 2 out), mistakes at first Valentine's and the eighteenth having put him on the back foot.

UCELLO CONTI (FR) could be a fixture in this race and other leading staying handicaps for a few seasons to come, certainly far from disgraced on his first sight of these fences, doing well to get involved - still going smoothly - on the home turn considering the bad mistake he'd made at the nineteenth, the effort of making up the lost ground probably telling on him late on; it was only in December that he made his debut for this top stable, and he's well worth another try over long distances.

VIEUX LION ROUGE (FR) took well to the course - belying his relative experience - only for his stamina to unsurprisingly give way upped even further in trip, creeping into things after pecking at second Becher's and getting onto the heels of the principals on the home turn before his run petered out, shaping much better than the distance beaten might suggest; still only a 7-y-o, he can be placed to advantage in a good handicap back over shorter next season, perhaps starting with the Becher back here.

MORNING ASSEMBLY (IRE) was beaten much further than at Cheltenham yet shaped just as well until his stamina gave way upped markedly in trip, looking a match for the placed horses for most of the way, going powerfully taken widest of all (jumped well) and even edging into second briefly entering the straight, weakening 2 out; he's best around 3m.

SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR (IRE) under more testing conditions than last year, predictably had his stamina limitations exposed all the more, tracking the pace but weakening once shaken up after 4 out, looked after as he dropped away.

UNIONISTE (FR) seemed unsuited by the course for the third time in as many visits, his running style and jumping of the fences not lending themselves to this race, ponderous in rear and never on terms.

LE REVE (IRE) has never failed for stamina at 3m+ before but seemed to find this a bridge too far, making promising headway into things from mid-field after halfway only to weaken from 3 out; he's a far more assured jumper nowadays, getting in tight to second Canal Turn his only blemish of note.

BUYWISE (IRE) seemingly saved for this since late-January but an unlikely National type, took his jockey's sequence of completions in this race to 8 under a trademark patient ride yet was never the slightest factor, a characteristic blunder at the seventeenth no more than a side issue, his stamina for the trip remaining a doubt.

PENDRA (IRE) hadn't lasted home at a demanding 3m when last seen pre-Christmas and predictably found this far too much of a test; mid-field, lost place when blundered second Canal Turn, beaten before 2 out, eased off but completed course.

TRIOLO D'ALENE (FR) has Topham and Hennessy wins on his record but isn't so good, durable or reliable nowadays, his win in a 3-runner listed event at Kempton first time out this season a flimsy piece of form; raced off the pace, not always fluent, some headway eighteenth, struggling from twenty-third.

JUST A PAR (IRE) back in blinkers, struggled for the second time in as many runs over these fences; not jump well, went with little fluency, always behind.

MANY CLOUDS (IRE) looked just about as strong a contender to emulate Red Rum's back-to-back Grand National wins as there's been since but met with a contrasting fate to 12 months earlier, legless as he trailed in last, reported to have suffered a breathing problem; all had looked to be going well when he moved alongside at the eighteenth, but a blunder 5 out knocked him back and the writing was on the wall entering the straight.

KATENKO (FR) was still off the pace - and not looking to be going anywhere - when falling at second Becher's.

HOLYWELL (IRE) looked one of the better-handicapped runners but got no further than the second on his debut over these fences; Un Temps Pour Tout seemingly knocked their Cheltenham form here earlier in the week, but the way fourth-home Morning Assembly ran for a long way in this suggests there's nothing at all wrong with that race; he should certainly stay beyond 3¼m.

ON HIS OWN (IRE) is a long way removed from the enthusiastic, bold-jumping horse once considered an ideal type for this race and didn't seem to relish much about his first visit here since the 2013 Becher, going with little zest in rear prior to taking a crashing fall at The Chair.

FIRST LIEUTENANT (IRE) unlike 12 months earlier, failed to survive an early error, close up when coming down at the second.

THE ROMFORD PELE (IRE) got away with a peck at the first only to unseat at the eighth (Canal Turn).

BALLYCASEY (IRE) lasted longer than on his first try over these fences but, having threatened briefly to make some headway from behind after 3 out, was tired and beaten when stumbling and unseating at the next; he'll be better off back at shorter, but he's been easy to oppose for some time regardless of trip.

HADRIAN'S APPROACH (IRE) lived up to his reputation as a sketchy jumper by unseating at the first.

GALLANT OSCAR (IRE) was shaping well - still going smoothly under a patient ride - when blundering at the eighteenth and eventually unseating; he'll presumably be aimed at Punchestown's Pat Taaffe Handicap now, and he ought to make a bold bid to retain his crown, still open to improvement despite his age.

ONENIGHTINVIENNA (IRE) one of only 2 first-season chasers in the field (along with Vieux Lion Rouge), wasn't ready for this sort of examination at this stage after just 4 chase starts, jumping with far less conviction than before and struggling when unseating at second Becher's; he went without the cheekpieces he'd worn when flopping at Ascot, incidentally.

SIR DES CHAMPS (FR) endured an unpleasant first experience of this course, losing his place - and confidence - courtesy of mistakes at the thirteenth/fourteenth before barely taking off and unseating at the next (The Chair).

BALLYNAGOUR (IRE) exited before his doubtful stamina could be put to the test, creeping closer from rear when unseating at the nineteenth (earlier mistake at fourteenth).

HOME FARM (IRE) added to a patchy record, not taking to the course; soon behind, never going well from seventh, tailed off when crossing twentieth, pulled up before next.

SAINT ARE (FR) failed by a long chalk to repeat his second-place heroics of 2015, not for the first time let down by his jumping; he was soon prominent and jumped to the front crossing the water, but he was rarely fluent otherwise and, having been headed soon after the seventeenth, was done with soon after further mistakes at second Becher's Brook and the next.

BLACK THUNDER (FR) has had something of a write-off season and effectively lost all chance when blundering at the water after another 9 weeks off, tailed off when pulled up approaching the twenty-first.

KRUZHLININ (GER) can have this run ignored, as he has before showing this course isn't for him, making mistakes and always behind.

DOUBLE ROSS (IRE) back in a tongue strap, looked a doubtful stayer and lost his place gradually on the final circuit prior to blundering at the twenty-fifth which resulted in his rider losing his irons, managing to clear the next but pulled up after.

AACHEN had his moment in the sun in leading from the second until an error at the water jump, tailed off by the time he was pulled up approaching second Becher's.

BOSTON BOB (IRE) looked too long in the tooth to be trying this course for the first time and never figured, in rear prior to being eased and pulled up before second Becher's, later said to be lame.

SOLL found himself much further off the pace than last year and didn't seem to relish the experience, never going well after being hampered at the first and behind when pulled up second Becher's Brook.

ROCKY CREEK (IRE) with headgear left off, blundered his chance away at the eleventh under a new rider (pulled up immediately), though he was already well behind and struggling at the time.

THE DRUIDS NEPHEW (IRE) was let down by his jumping in this race for the second year in a row but, in complete contrast to 2015, never gave his backers even the slightest hope, barely taking a fence fluently after finding himself much further off the pace, eventually pulled up at the twenty-first.

WONDERFUL CHARM (FR) ran no sort of race after 4 months off, facing these fences for the first time; in rear, jumped tentatively, tailed off when pulled up twenty-first.

SILVINIACO CONTI (FR) one of only 2 bona fide top-class runners but a doubtful stayer on paper, shaped as if amiss in any case; tracked pace, bad mistake eleventh, dropped away quickly next, pulled up fourteenth.