Leading National hope Corach Rambler "10lb well-in" on ratings

Corach Rambler is going to be 10lb well-in when he runs in the Randox Grand National next month.

The Lucinda Russell-trained nine-year-old, favourite in several books and a best-priced 8-1, will run off a mark of 146 at Aintree but his new rating, revealed on Tuesday, is 156 after his second successive win in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last week.

Weights for the National were announced last month with the subsequent performances of the entries irrelevant in terms of the handicap marks they will run off.

Corach Rambler seems likely to shoulder 10st 5lb in the National as at least one of the joint top-weights, Any Second Now, is an intended runner. But if the handicapper were to have a fresh go at framing them, he would have 11st 1lb.

Constitution Hill has been lauded after his scintillating Champion Hurdle success but has been given a provisional rating of 175, a rise of just 2lb.

That figure leaves him behind only Istabraq and Faugheen (both 176) and on a par with Hurricane Fly among the top hurdlers since the classifications were founded in 1999-2000.

However, having had only six races over hurdles, there is scope for Constitution Hill to raise the bar higher, especially if his connections resist sending him chasing next season.

Galopin Des Champs is up to a rating of 178 after his compelling Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup victory.

BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood explained in his BHA blog: “Assessment wise, the mathematics of pre-race ratings and the finishing order fit in quite neatly with Bravemansgame, Conflated and Noble Yeats all more or less confirming the best efforts of the season meaning Galopin Des Champs has clearly posted the best staying performance of the campaign and his new rating is 178, with the promise of further improvement to come.

“That figure is only just shy of A Plus Tard’s 180 from 2022, and this pair have shown to be consecutive above-standard winners of this race in recent times.”

The leading staying novices, The Real Whacker and Geri Colombe, both have to go some way to bridge the gap with Galopin Des Champs. They are bioth assessed to have run to 159 in the Brown Advisory.

Shiskin is assessed to have run about a stone below his best when beaten by Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase, with Sire Du Berlais running to a mark of 160 in what proved an ordinary renewal of the Stayers’ Hurdle.