Aintree Festival 2025: Tanya Stevenson's Selections For The Grand National

Tanya Stevenson's Selection For Day 3 (Saturday) At Aintree 

• Tanya Stevenson's Panel Selection: Stumptown - Grand National (16:00) - Win - With Vanillier & Perceval Legollais In Tricast

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip: Stumptown - Grand National (16:00) With Vanillier & Perceval Legollais In Forecast & Tricast

I Am Maximus will be hoping to be the ninth horse to win the Grand National twice, that’s if you include the unofficial races in 1836 and 1837. 

Much of the literature about this great race has Lottery as the first winner in 1839, and perhaps that worked well with the mystique and history.

Aintree has been my pilgrimage since the late 1970s, when my family had an on-course bookmaker’s pitch. 

Trading ceased when I went to work for Channel 4 Racing, but I still made sure I could attend the meeting, and I will still have butterflies of excitement when I walk through the entrance this year.

Nothing beats Aintree for me. It’s a magical place. Just after 4pm on Saturday, it will be a magical place for the connections of the Grand National winner.

As for sifting through statistics and facts, it’s hard trying to base theories on such, as the race is just a pale shadow of itself. 

Moderation after moderation after moderation has seen the race shorten and the fences lowered, although there is still a massive stamina requirement.  

There isn’t the Aintree factor there once was. However, there is a need to jump with fluency, at speed and be in the front rank is a necessity.

Those that have tried and failed before are unlikely to prevail again, as a different year offers up a new set of unexposed improvers. 

I'm in a bit of a predicament as in one of my earlier columns this week, I already flagged up Kandoo Kid, but he ran too bad to be true at Newbury last time. 

Paul Nicholls' form has picked right up now, so I've had to take a long hard look at the race again.

The fact Willie Mullins had four winners on the first day of the festival, resulted in all his runners - including last year's hero I Am Maximus - contract in price on horse racing betting sites.

This year, I think there is a different gladiator in town, and it's not a horse, it’s a trainer. 

Gavin Cromwell is fresh from winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Inothewayurthinking. 

I have a feeling he could do something amazing and train the first two or three, such is the strength of his three runners. 

It’s hard enough to train the winner, but Cromwell has Stumptown, Vanillier and Perceval Legollais, who are all towards the head of the markets on betting apps. 

Stumptown and Keith Donoghue are the kings of the Cheltenham Cross Country, just as Tiger Roll and Davy Russell were a few years ago. 

Donoghue produces him so late, it's hard to assess just how much more he has in reserve, so stamina won't be an issue.  

Vanillier nearly took the wrong turn in the Cross Country and conceded so much ground it left the thought of 'what if?' 

He has been in a Grand National before and valiantly chased home Corach Rambler in 2023. He has been trained brilliantly for this examination. 

He is a grey and would be the fourth grey to win the race and the first since Neptune Collonges in 2012.

Perceval Legollais is the lesser known of the trio, but he won the Paddy Power Chase, which thrust him into contention. Then he had a nice spin over hurdles last time. (Anibale Fly won the 2017 Paddy Power Chase and finished fourth in 2018 Grand National). 

He is full of exuberance and has Gold Cup winning jockey Mark Walsh on board. The pair get on well as they have teamed up for five wins, three seconds and two thirds from 16 runs.

Trying to pick one of the three is very, very difficult, so I'm going for Stumptown and I’ll do a very small combination forecast and tricast on Cromwell's three.