Grand National entries: Former champions Tiger Roll and Minella Times among 107 for Aintree feature
Minella Times, winner of the 2021 Grand National for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, among 53 Irish entries for this year's Aintree feature; dual champion Tiger Roll among possibles for Gordon Elliott, along with Galvin and Samcro
Tuesday 1 February 2022 14:25, UK
Tiger Roll is among 107 entries for the Randox Grand National at Aintree on April 9.
The winner in 2018 and 2019, Gordon Elliott's charge was denied a possible hat-trick bid in 2020 due to the pandemic and owners Gigginstown House Stud decided against running in 2021 following a dispute over the horse's allotted weight.
Instead, he ran in the Grade One Betway Bowl and was fourth to Clan Des Obeaux after lifting the cross-country chase at the Cheltenham Festival for a third time.
Now a 12-year-old, Tiger Roll has been well beaten on both his starts this season.
Among Elliott's other possibles are Galvin, winner of the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last year and successful in the Grade One Savills Chase in December, and Samcro.
Last year's winner, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Times, could try to repeat the feat that saw Rachael Blackmore become the first female rider to take the world's most famous steeplechase.
Any Second Now, trained by Ted Walsh, is another leading fancy having finished third in 2021.
The horses who finished fourth to eighth respectively - Burrows Saint, Farclas, Blaklion, Discorama and Jett - could also try again.
The Jonjo O'Neill-trained Cloth Cap, who was pulled up last April when sent off favourite, is on the list once more. Among others of note are the O'Neill-trained Easysland, Warwick Classic Chase victor Eclair Surf, Irish Grand National scorer Freewheelin Dylan, Scottish National winner Mighty Thunder and Becher Chase heroine Snow Leopardess.
The first two home in the Ladbrokes Trophy, Cloudy Glen and Fiddlerontheroof, are in the mix as is Windsor Avenue, who landed the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster on Saturday.
Welsh National victor Iwilldoit and Castlebawn West, winner of the 2020 Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown, were both prominent in the market but have not been entered.