All four of Henry de Bromhead’s Randox Grand National entries are guaranteed a run in this year’s race after the handicapper allocated them weights in the top 34 of the field.

However, the Knockeen-based trainer has admitted only two of them are being campaigned solely with the Aintree showpiece in mind.

De Bromhead has had 15 runners in the race during his career as a trainer, the first of them when Buckers Bridge finished 11th in 2014. He went on to make history by winning in 2021, when Minella Times helped Rachael Blackmore become the first female jockey to triumph in the world’s most famous steeplechase.

This year de Bromhead has four entries, Envoi Allen (rated 163 and a weight of 11st 8lb), Monty’s Star (rated 160 and a weight of 11st 5lb), Minella Indo (rated 158 and a weight of 11st 3lb) and Senior Chief (rated 151 and a weight of 10st 10lb).

Speaking after discovering the handicapper’s verdict, he said: “It’s nice they’re all in. Obviously we’ll see what will go there.

“At the moment Envoi’s heading for the Ryanair Chase and Monty’s Star is heading for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Minella Indo is aiming for the National and Senior Chief is aiming for there as well.”

Assessing the chances

Assessing each horse’s chances of running in the race and their seasons so far, de Bromhead went on: “Envoi Allen seems well and Monty’s Star is in great form too. He has come out of his last race well.

“Minella Indo ran really well last year. It was brilliant. He’s come out of Navan ok. He ran well and Rachael (Blackmore, jockey) was happy. He might have got a bit tired in the ground but he ran well.

“He’s got a great attitude. He’s an amazing horse, he’s been brilliant over the years and he’s a great man. We’re delighted with him.

“He certainly enjoyed it last year. Rachael was brilliant on him and gave him a great spin. We’ve opted to go this way and hopefully he’ll run well.

“Senior Chief ran great at Cheltenham (when winning at The Showcase Meeting). We were a bit disappointed with him in the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup at Newbury) but he seems in good form again now, so we’ll definitely aim him at the National.”

Reflecting on winning the race in 2021 with Minella Times, de Bromhead added: “It’s a race you dream of winning. We were delighted to win it for the McManuses and also for Rachael to become the first female jockey to win it was incredible as well. To be associated with all that was one of those great days.

“We were obviously delighted for ourselves too. It’s the race that everyone wants to win and we were very fortunate to win it.”

Trainer Tom Gibney admitted he is “quite happy” with Intense Raffles’ weight of 10st 10lb for this year’s Randox Grand National as the gelding bids to make a triumphant UK racecourse debut at Aintree.

The seven-year-old, who runs in the double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, won the Irish Grand National on April 1st last year as the youngest horse in a field of 20, aged just six.

Intense Raffles is one of two entries in this year’s race for Gibney, who operates out of Trim in County Meath, and at number 31 in the list he is guaranteed a run in the world’s greatest steeplechase.

After learning that Intense Raffles has been allocated a rating of 151, Gibney said: “That’s fair enough. He was 151 over here so why should he be any different over there? I’d be quite happy with that.

“We’re hoping to get serious now as we get a bit closer. He’ll have another run – all being well he’ll run again, not this weekend but the next weekend at Fairyhouse.”

"Great performance"

Of his exploits in the Irish National at Fairyhouse last year, Gibney added: “It was a great performance and if we can get him back to that I’d be very happy.”

Asked about the importance of the Randox Grand National to his yard, Gibney described it as “huge” as he recalled the performances of his only two previous runners in the race - Lion Na Bearnai who was pulled up at the 27th of 30 fences in 2014, and Velvet Elvis who was pulled up at the 17th fence in 2023.

Gibney said: “Lion Na Bearnais had a terrible day that year. Everything went wrong and his saddle slipped in the race. But I really, really fancied Velvet Elvis going there and to this day I don’t know why he was the first one off the bridle. He just didn’t perform on the day when I felt like I’d never had him better.

“That’s the thing - you don’t know. It’s all grand wanting to win it and building up and building up, but going and doing it is a different story.”

Gibney’s other horse entered in this year’s Randox Grand National is Bronn, who with a rating of 142 and a weight of 10st 1lb finds himself 66th on the list.

His trainer conceded: “I’d say it’s probably unlikely he’d run anyway at this stage.”