Sean O'Keeffe: Vanillier The One To Beat In The Grand National

The Grand National is an incredible race, and I am lucky to be participating again this year.

It's the one race of the year that captures the imagination of people from inside and outside the industry, and it's a fantastic experience to be involved in.

This will be the fourth time I tackle the race's big fences and marathon trip.

I have finished the race twice in the past, and I am grateful to have been given the chance to ride Appreciate It this year for Willie Mullins.

We will need some luck to be involved in the finish, but the same can be said for everyone involved in this unique race.

Appreciate It Unexposed Over Longer Trips

I rode Appreciate It when he won at Thurles on his last start and he seemed to enjoy the good underfoot conditions.

That bodes well with the nice ground at Aintree, and he is a generous price at 40/1 with betting sites.

He is a very classy horse, and I'm hoping that he is coming back into form.

Jumping the unique fences should be no problem; the only question mark is his ability to stay the distance.

The one thing you can say is that he is unexposed over longer trips, and I'm looking forward to seeing if he has the stamina.

He is a very good horse on his day, so I hope for a good performance.

Vanillier Has A Big Chance

This year's Grand National is a wide-open contest, which can be seen with the odds offered by horse racing betting sites.

It is tight at the top, but one horse I fancy to run a big race is Gavin Cromwell's Vanillier.

He ran an absolutely cracking race at Cheltenham despite things not going to plan as he nearly took the wrong course.

That put him out of the race, so it was remarkable that he recovered and stayed on to finish third.

I was impressed with his Punchestown win over the Cross Country course before that, and he has that all-important Grand National experience from his second-place finish in 2023 and last year's effort.

He only carries 10st 6lbs, meaning he receives weight from the more fancied runners.

If he is at his best, I think it will take a good horse to beat him.

Fil Dor One To Watch At A Big Price

I am still baffled by the price of 50/1 that betting apps are offering for Fil Dor.

He is another young horse unexposed over longer trips and is stepping into handicap company for the first time.

Even though he is just a 7-year-old, he has plenty of experience to his name.

He has plenty of good form in the book, particularly his runner-up effort at Ascot over Christmas.

His trainer, Gordon Elliott, certainly knows how to win the race, and he has been touting Fil Dor's chances.

That is an excellent sign, and he might surprise a few in Saturday's big race.