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2023 Grand National

Grand National
Location	Aintree
Date	15 April 2023
Winning horse	Corach Rambler
Starting price	8/1 F
Jockey	Derek Fox
Trainer	Lucinda Russell
Owner	The Ramblers
Conditions	Good to soft
← 20222024 →

External videos
Full replay of the 2023 Grand National Racing TV, YouTube
Full replay of the 2023 Grand National ITV Racing , YouTube

The 2023 Grand National (officially known as the Randox 2023 Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 175th annual running of the Grand National horse race. It took place on Saturday 15 April 2023, at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The event was sponsored by Randox Health with Natasha Jonas acting as ambassador.

The race was won by Corach Rambler who was trained by Lucinda Russell in Scotland and ridden by Irish jockey Derek Fox, who had both previously won the Grand National in 2017 with One For Arthur.

The race start was delayed by 14 minutes, following protests by campaign group Animal Rising, the first such disruptions since the cancellation of the 1993 Grand National due to a series of false starts and the 1997 Grand National due to the IRA bomb threat. 118 arrests were made by Merseyside Police, for both "criminal damage and public nuisance offences".

Entries and weights

The initial entry of 85 horses was published on 7 February 2023. Only 31 of the horses entered were trained in Great Britain, compared to 54 in the initial entry for the 2022 race. Of the Irish-trained runners, 21 were trained by Gordon Elliott, who was seeking a fourth Grand National victory as a trainer. Bookmakers made 2022 winner Noble Yeats 10-1 favourite at the time of the entries.

Weight for the race were announced on 21 February 2023. Three horses were given the top weight of 11 stones and 12 pounds; Any Second Now (the 2022 runner-up), Conflated and Hewick. Galvin and Noble Yeats were just behind on 11 stone 11, and Noble Yeats remained the betting favourite at a best price of 11-1. Publication of the weights opened up the possibility that the final field would be dominated by Irish-trained runners, with 41 of the top 60 in the weights trained in Ireland.

Nine horses were withdrawn at the acceptance stage on 7 March. Amongst the withdrawals were the 2021 winner Minella Times, who had been retired, and the fourth-placed horse from 2021 Burrows Saint. Iwilldoit was withdrawn having failed to meet the requirements of running in six steeplechases before 19 February. The withdrawals left 73 possible runners remaining with the next acceptance stage due on 28 March.

A further sixteen horses were withdrawn at the 28 March acceptance stage to leave 57 possible runners. The fifth-placed horse from 2021, Farclas, was amongst the withdrawals and other notable scratchings included Becher Chase winner Ashtown Lad and the 2022 Irish Grand National winner Lord Lariat. The betting at this stage was headed by 6-1 chance Corach Rambler, who had won the Ultima Handicap Chase for a second consecutive year, followed by Noble Yeats at 8-1. Only Any Second Now remained from the three top-weighted horses as Conflated and Hewick were withdrawn.

Final confirmations were made on 10 April and seven more horses were withdrawn, leaving 50 possible runners. Corach Rambler reimained as the general 6-1 betting favourite with Noble Yeats at 8-1 and Delta Work at 10-1.

Race card

The 40 runners were finalised on Thursday 13 April. There were no withdrawals at Thursday's declaration stage. In a change from previous years, no reserves were declared. Escaria Ten, who finished ninth in the 2022 race, was declared a non-runner on the day.

Finishing order

Source

Non-finishers

Broadcasting and media

"Corach Rambler soars into the lead in the National, Mister Coffey in second place, The Big Dog, Gaillard Du Mesnil, behind these Roi Mage, Born By The Sea, last year's winner Noble Yates, Vanillier, and Le Milos. They're heading towards the Elbow, they're all chasing Corach Rambler who is clear by a wide margin. The greys Vanillier and Gaillard Du Mesnil, with Noble Yates and The Big Dog are next. Getting lonely out in front, Corach Rambler just hanging, but surely has a big enough lead. It's six lengths to Vanillier and Gaillard Du Mesnil. Lucinda Russell, Derek Fox, and again Scotland take the National with Corach Rambler,"

As the Grand National is accorded the status of an event of national interest in the United Kingdom and is listed on the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events, it must be shown on free-to-air terrestrial television in the UK. The race was broadcast live on TV by ITV for the sixth time, and the final year in its current three year deal with the British Horseracing Authority.

The ITV coverage was presented by Ed Chamberlin and Adele Mulrennan. Analysis was provided by former jockeys Sir Anthony McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald, Tom Scudamore, Harry Cobden and Ruby Walsh. Reports were provided by Alice Plunkett, Luke Harvey, Rishi Persad and Matt Chapman, and betting updates were provided by Brian Gleeson. Oli Bell and Chris Hughes covered viewers' comments on social media, while Mark Heyes and Charlotte Hawkins were chatting to the crowd on Ladies Day. The commentary team was Mark Johnson, Stewart Machin and Richard Hoiles, who called the finish for the sixth time. Following the race, Bell and Walsh guided viewers on a fence-by-fence re-run of the race.

Equine fatalities

Hill Sixteen fell and was mortally injured at the first fence, killing him almost instantly. The trainer of Hill Sixteen, Sandy Thomson, claimed that the horse became "hyper" because of the protests, which led to him not taking off at the first fence. Thomson was adamant that the actions of the protesters were behind his horse falling for the first time in his career. Hill Sixteen had previously ridden 27 races on 15 different tracks, and had previously jumped the Grand National fences at Aintree while competing twice in the Becher Chase .

Earlier at the Aintree meeting Envoye Special had been euthanised, following an injury after a fall in the Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase and Dark Raven had been euthanised after a fall at the Turners Mersey Novice Hurdle.

Protests

Animal rights campaign group Animal Rising had threatened to disrupt the race and were protesting from early on the day of the race. 118 people were arrested over protests that delayed the start of race by 14 minutes. Merseyside Police held nine people who had been able to enter the track and later said arrests had been made for both "criminal damage and public nuisance offences", including arrests made before the race and connected to a protest that had blocked the M57.

This was the third Grand National to be disrupted in post-war history since the 1993 Grand National which led to a series of false starts and the 1997 Grand National was postponed to Monday because of an IRA bomb threat.

References

1. Sleight, Emily (11 April 2022). "When is The Grand National 2023: full schedule and tickets". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
2. Roszko, Charlotte (6 September 2022). "Aintree ambassador announced for Randox Grand National 2023". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
3. Keogh, Frank (15 April 2023). "Grand National 2023 result: Corach Rambler wins at Aintree after protest delay". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
4. "Grand National 2023: Corach Rambler wins after protesters force race to start late". Guardian. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
5. Burton, Scott (7 February 2023). "Corach Rambler heads depleted Grand National challenge as only 31 of 85 entries are trained in Britain". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
6. Stafford, Katie. "Grand National 2023: Any Second Now among contenders to carry top weight". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
7. Wood, Greg (21 February 2023). "Grand National: Irish horses to dominate field for second year running". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
8. Haynes, Jack (7 March 2023). "Nine horses scratched from the 2023 Grand National". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
9. Rennie, Matt (28 March 2023). "Sixteen horses scratched from the 2023 Randox Grand National as 57 stand their ground for Aintree". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
10. Stevens, James (10 April 2023). "Grand National field whittled down to 50 at five-day confirmation stage". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
11. "2023 Grand National: confirmed runners and riders for Saturday's big race". BBC sport. 13 April 2023. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
12. "Reserve system for Grand National to be scrapped from 2023". Racing TV. 3 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
13. ^ "2023 Grand National result". BBC News. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
14. "Corach Rambler races to Randox Grand National glory". Retrieved 15 April 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
15. Mottershead, Lee (3 August 2022). "Racing will remain on ITV for another three years after new contract is agreed". Racing Post. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
16. "ITV Racing Live at the Randox Grand National Festival 2023 Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th April". 29 March 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
17. English, Tom (18 April 2023). "Grand National 2023: Trainer Sandy Thomson on the death of horse Hill Sixteen". BBC News. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
18. English, Tom (18 April 2023). "Grand National 2023: Trainer Sandy Thomson on the death of horse Hill Sixteen". BBC News. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
19. ^ Skelton, Jack (15 April 2023). "Grand National: 118 people arrested over protests that delayed start of Aintree race". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
20. Ng, Ellie (15 April 2023). "More than 100 arrested after protesters storm Grand National and delay race". independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.

• Grand National
• 2023 in horse racing
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• 21st century in Merseyside
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