AINTREE 16:00

Non Runners: CHAMBARD (FR), RUN WILD FRED (IRE). Fences: 30.

Time: 9m 28.4s Closing Sectional: (6.28f): 96.2s (108.1%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 137%, Betfair SP 102.5%

The creep towards ensuring as safe a Grand National as possible, mindful of concerns of its perception and reception in wider society, had moved up another notch in the light of last year's potentially anomalous chaos-filled occasion, starting with a cut to the maximum field of forty which, following the post-declaration withdrawals of Chambard - meaning only a septet of home-trained contenders took part - and Run Wild Fred, saw the number of runners cut by a fifth; whether that major alteration was key is open to question, but the other safety-led moves, to shorten the run to the first fence along with the introduction of a standing start, were almost certainly highly significant in ensuring a much less frenetic gallop than usual that decreased the pressure on jumping prowess and stamina and meant upwards of twenty were still right there on the long run from 3 out, a hard-to-believe snapshot of a remarkably incident-free edition that had actually threatened to be the opposite when the defending champion had unseated at the first and then taken a tumble while loose at the second, which in an unprecedented twist to the race deemed the ultimate test of horse and rider was, happily, the only 'fall' in sight; safety is one thing but the upshot from a form perspective to this Grand National and the ones to come felt stark for the purists as well, the days of lower-rated dour stayers excelling themselves having done the same in more conventional marathon handicaps, represented most accurately this year by the pick of the home-trained runners Kitty's Light, probably a thing of the past in all bar those seldom-seen renewals on bottomless ground, with the 8-y-o winner - not since Pineau du Re has anything older than 9 been successful - having landed a Grade 1 novice earlier in the season and his compatriots who filled the frame all top-level winners in open company in their pomp even if converted into cross-country performers these days, Minella Indo closer than all bar Garrison Savannah have come in the intervening period to matching L'Escargot and Golden Miller as the only horses to have won this and a Cheltenham Gold Cup, a record probably on borrowed time if this is as it very much seems a sign of Grand Nationals to come.

I AM MAXIMUS (FR) joined compatriots Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde in landing the biggest National of them all a year after winning the Irish version the last time Townend was aboard, though to put him in the same bracket as that pair in terms of standing would do him a great disservice, in a reflection of the starkly changing shape of the race as a whole arriving with a Grade 1 novice chase win to his name as well as his warm-up thrashing of Vanillier in the Fairyhouse race named in honour of the 1999 Aintree hero, that demolition job leaving him some way ahead of the handicapper and the reduced emphasis on jumping and increased emphasis on raw ability in a renewal run at a stop-start gallop doing the rest, saving every yard waited with up the inner under a rider completing the full house of major wins - and seemingly immune to mistakes - yet only briefly having to work for room when the last was already out of the way, switched approaching the Elbow and soon bursting to life as he shot to the front inside the final 1f and stormed well away to pass the line with plenty more to give, such a clear-cut success looking unthinkable as close to home as the last and, in form terms, equating to a Grand National performance right up there with Suny Bay's 1998 defeat from a BHA mark of 170; a Cheltenham Gold Cup would place more pressure on his technique than this did but there's little doubt he's close to that level in terms of ability now to add to his owner's apparent embarrassment of riches in that division bolstered by novices Fact To File and Inothewayurthinkin at the 2 major British spring festivals.

DELTA WORK (FR) looked in magnificent shape (theme with Elliott's runners all week) and bettered even his first crack at a Grand National when third behind Noble Yeats as a mere 9-y-o with his mark only 3 lb lower this time around, kept for this since his Cheltenham target was washed out and seemingly enlivened by a change of headgear, even after starting this race as he had the last one by belting the first, settled in mid-field as a result, recovering from a slow jump at the eighth to take closer order at the second Canal Turn and, produced to hold every chance at the last, staying on all the while to regain second near the finish long after the turbo had kicked in on the winner to blow the race apart, a small cut on his hind leg not appearing to hinder him.

MINELLA INDO (IRE) has shown on his last 2 starts that he still has plenty to offer, the abandoned Cross Country at the Festival a chance gone begging based on how well he took to the track before Christmas and how much dash he showed here tackling these fences for the first time in becoming just the sixth Gold Cup winner to hit the frame in this since Golden Miller, conceding 2 lb and 4 lb to Delta Work and Galvin when he'd have met them off levels at the Festival; in touch, he jumped and travelled fluently, led at the last and briefly looked to have got away only for a fellow Grade 1 winner at the other end of the age scale to surge past him as they straightened for the final 1f, run out of a second as well near the line as the trip possibly began to tell even in a rare relative test of speed at it.

GALVIN (IRE) showed he's still a high-class chaser given a second chance at this race after his inauspicious first attempt, the strength of his finish such that he'd likely have been pushing for second had this been a rather more conventional, strongly-run renewal; avoiding mistakes in mid-field, he first needed shaking up after 3 out and wasn't able to quicken in a share of sixth at the last, but he'd started to motor through the final 100 yds and even looked to have more to give at the line as he closed down the other former mainstays of the Grade 1 staying scene ahead.

KITTY'S LIGHT didn't let anyone down who'd been following his emotional story so closely, emerging with great credit as the best of the British with only a clutch of top-level regulars ahead, having long since established himself as a specialist's specialist in the many marathon handicap chases in the programme, brought to a peak for this following a quiet cross-code campaign and, having handled the test superbly taken wider than the quartet ahead, looking a big threat as he moved upsides at the last only to lack the pace of the principals on the long run for home, typically giving it his all; immensely durable, he'll be right at the top of the shortlist for Sandown again, assuming he's given Ayr off this year.

AIN'T THAT A SHAME (IRE) had changed into the ownership of his amateur rider since the Thyestes yet ran at least as well in defeat, bettering his apparent non-staying effort in a far more gruelling renewal in 2023, arguably the clearest evidence of all this wasn't the usual Grand National finish; held up, headway around halfway, kept on from last.

MEETINGOFTHEWATERS (IRE) couldn't emulate Corach Rambler and Noble Yeats in the last 2 renewals by going from the Ultima to Aintree glory, too fluent a traveller to prove fully effective at the marathon trip on his first try, notwithstanding the wide route would appear the least efficient path in a drying-ground Grand National; patiently ridden, awkward 4 out, smooth headway out wide 2 out, ridden from last, effort flattened out.

GALIA DES LITEAUX (FR) who began to sweat as the parade went on, wasn't quite able to replicate her Classic Chase exploits but promised to do so for a long way, a lung-bursting move from rear into contention at second Becher's - aided by some accurate jumping - probably telling on her in the end, leading nearing 3 out until before the next and left behind only from the last; there's little reason why she wouldn't make some each-way appeal in this given another try in 2025.

ROI MAGE (FR) finished a couple of places - and a dozen lengths - worse than in 2023 after a less-assured display of jumping; held up, mistakes thirteenth, 4 out and 3 out, left behind from next.

LIMERICK LACE (IRE) found the entirely different test something of a culture shock as she failed to justify her position alongside the winner in the betting, some early ill-luck putting her on the back foot, her stamina for the extreme trip left unproven under the circumstances; held up, badly hampered first Canal Turn, slow eleventh, blundered 4 out, rallied approaching straight, effort flattened out.

COKO BEACH (FR) hasn't been involved in the finish in 3 successive Grand Nationals now, a more reserved ride this time around not remedying matters; in touch on inner, lost place when ridden entering straight, no threat after.

LATENIGHTPASS back with his former yard following a productive 3-run spell for Dan Skelton, highlighted once more the suitability of this course (form figures of 214 in Foxhunters') only to come up short for stamina, having also covered lots of ground taken just about widest; jumped superbly, settled mid-field, rapid headway out wide still early final circuit, edged ahead before 2 out, headed last, tied up flat.

THE GOFFER (IRE) didn't get home tried over the longest of trips but has been stuttering in lesser staying handicaps for a while now in any case; mid-division, lost ground early final circuit, headway out wide again 3 out, left behind from next.

VANILLIER (FR) proved something of a let-down in a different style of Grand National to when he'd pushed Corach Rambler closest in 2023, his chance of winning one probably gone now; settled mid-field on inner, lost ground early final circuit, headway when slow second Canal Turn, outpaced entering straight, unsuited by the relative emphasis on speed.

EKLAT DE RIRE (FR) has yet to show his form in a big field over fences, making a blunder as well as failing to stay this time; waited with, not settle fully, on inner, bad mistake nineteenth, shaken up after 3 out, weakened last.

CAPODANNO (FR) made it 2 successive Grand National no-shows, probably just not cut out for it in terms of heart as well as stamina and/or jumping; patiently ridden, hampered Canal Turn, weakened between 3 out and 2 out.

PANDA BOY (IRE) wasn't classy enough to make the same impression as he had in a heavy-ground Paddy Power in which Meetingofthewaters always had him covered; soon behind, uncomfortable with pace, struggling when clouted second Valentine's.

NASSALAM (FR) was probably unsuited by drying conditions, the ground feared at the start of the week not materialising over the 3-day fixture and drying as the meeting went on; mid-field, lost place when mistakes nineteenth, twenty-first, outpaced before straight.

NOBLE YEATS (IRE) ran poorly bidding to regain his 2022 crown, a concerted spell over hurdles perhaps leaving him ill-prepared for the return to this course; never travelling well, bad mistake second Becher's Brook, always behind.

ELDORADO ALLEN (FR) went with more zest even with headgear quickly discarded as he took well to the course but clearly found the trip beyond him; close up, jumped boldly, jumped on second Becher's Brook, headed approaching 3 out, soon done with before next.

ADAMANTLY CHOSEN (IRE) made little appeal on paper given his record in numerically competitive races over fences and also had a physical problem; settled in rear out wide, shaken up before 4 out, no response, tailed off before straight, bled.

GLENGOULY (FR) had his spell in the spotlight as he made most until second Becher's but was firmly on the retreat and beaten when unseating 4 out.

MR INCREDIBLE (IRE) wasn't full of enthusiam for the standing start and, after losing several lengths there, was still in rear when wiped out in a melee at the The Chair.

MAHLER MISSION (IRE) didn't take to the course, coming in cold 4 months on from his fine run in the Coral Gold Cup probably no help in that regard for all he didn't look short of work, surviving mistakes at the ninth and tenth when already much further back than normal but not one at The Chair.

CORACH RAMBLER (IRE) had raised his game still further since making the fences look insignificant in winning the race in 2023 but met with a fate that had befallen Gay Trip, Aldaniti and Hallo Dandy by exiting following an awkward landing at the first in his repeat bid, falling whilst loose at the next for good measure.

MAC TOTTIE seemed a highly unlikely stayer but endured a far less pleasant experience than on a couple of his previous tries over the fences even before stamina was put to the test; raced off the pace, mistake first Canal Turn, behind when hampered The Chair, tailed off when pulled up twenty-first (lame).

CHEMICAL ENERGY (IRE) who sweated up and generally failed to impress in appearance beforehand, offered little asked an even bigger question pitched in here after another 7 months off for his first start in the colours; raced off the pace, labouring seventeenth, behind when clouted 4 out; he finished second to a subsequent Grand National third (Gaillard du Mesnil) in the National Hunt Chase that saw Mahler Mission crash out when still clear.

MINELLA CROONER (IRE) again ran poorly; handy, lost place second Becher's Brook, behind before 5 out.

FAROUK D'ALENE (FR) was unsurprisingly let down by his jumping back chasing over the biggest fences of them all; close up, mistake twelfth, lost place nineteenth, awkward second Becher's Brook, tailed off when slow second Canal Turn.

FOXY JACKS (IRE) reverted to type retried in headgear after 4 months off, as in the 2022 Topham finding the fences getting in the way; pressed leader, led eighteenth, headed when blundered next, struggling when hit second Foinavon.

STATTLER (IRE) took to this with even less relish than he had the Punchestown banks; soon behind, jumped slowly and soon looked ill-at-ease, hampered second, tailed off when pulled up ninth (breathing problem); he's become very disappointing overall.

JANIDIL (FR) ran out of stamina in a matter of strides late on; patiently ridden, some headway out wide approaching 2 out, stopped quickly.