Grand National tips 2022: Dave Nevison’s best bets for the big race

Backing the favourite in the Randox Grand National (halving stakes with joint-favourites) over the last 25 years would have returned around 50% on your money, which while not quite the same as getting involved in Bitcoin early doors is still a pretty good return and demonstrates clearly that the race is not the lottery it is perceived to be by many - and in my opinion never has been.

I don’t know whether any of my selections will go off favourite as it is fairly crowded at the front of the market this year, but they are fancied runners and it is these contenders that have been winning the race.

Delta Work is my strongest fancy and for me rates the best of the Gordon Elliott contingent. He broke hearts when gambled on and getting up by a short head to beat Tiger Roll in the Cross Country last time and, while the stats for that race as a Grand National pointer are skewed given the Aintree exploits of Tiger Roll, the Cross Country is a higher-class race these days.

It is a personal view that Aintree can suit horses who can handle the twists and turns of that Festival contest and the flotsam coming back at runners, as well as having some replica Grand National fences on that course. I am pretty certain that this high-class runner – fifth in last year’s Gold Cup - could be very adept around here and it is good to see Jack Kennedy sticking with him from what was presumably a stack of choices.

Any Second Now should have been second in last year’s Grand National and may build on that this time.

He got brought to a standstill and lost many lengths early on in the latest renewal but fought well to get himself back into contention between the last two fences before finally giving best. He is 9lbs better off now with the winner Minella Times, who had a charmed run throughout.

Ted Walsh’s 10-year-old has been primed for this race ever since. His prep was completed with a nose victory over Escaria Ten after the Grand National weights were published and he is 1lb better off with that rival, so a very good job has been done in getting him here.

Fiddlerontheroof is a British selection, which possibly rules him out given Irish dominance recently.

He had been top of my list after his staying-on second in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in November, where he was hampered four-out and would have won in another 100 yards or so. He has only had one run since, which resulted in another very narrow defeat, but he was probably in front too soon at Ascot.

Challenging late in this field will suit Fiddlerontheroof and he has been kept fresh for this by missing out on Cheltenham. At eight years old, it is definitely possible we have not seen the best of him yet.

I have made quite a lot of money on Anibale Fly in Grand Nationals and Gold Cups despite him not winning either, so I cannot resist having another go on him picking up some extra place money.

There is no doubt his days of finishing second at Cheltenham are a long way behind him but his chase mark has tumbled as a result of largely being campaigned over distances far too short for him, as well as for runs over hurdles.

Tony Martin will have trained Anibale Fly to get him in this towards the bottom of the weights and he has achieved that aim, while the 12-year-old has shown enough glimmers of retained form to suggest he could battle on to finish close up. Every drop of rain will help him get closer for sure.