In what is the preeminent race on the UK & Ireland’s National Hunt racing schedule, the Grand National at Aintree sees some of the most talented thoroughbreds battle it out for supremacy on the sport’s biggest stage.

With the fixture garnering hundreds of thousands in attendance and hundreds of millions of television viewers, a win in the Grand National is a career-defining moment for any horse, jockey or trainer.

2023’s renewal was no exception, with bumper crowds both trackside and at home hoping to witness an awe-inspiring performance on Saturday, April 15 – and fortunately for them, that was exactly what they were treated to. With that in mind, read on as we dissect the performance of the eventual winner of this year’s Grand National winner – Corach Rambler.

Entering as the 8/1 favourite in the horse racing betting odds with most operators, many were high on the nine-year-old after his performance in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival a month prior. The Lucinda Russell-trained horse won that fixture by a neck from Fastorslow – becoming the first thoroughbred to reign supreme in back-to-back Prestbury Park renewals since Un Temps Pour Tout achieved the feat in 2016/17.

The gruelling nature of the Grand National is a completely different beast however, and considering only five favourites have triumphed in the four-mile and two-and-a-half-furlong affair in the last 25 years – a Corach Rambler victory was far from a forgone conclusion.

Couple that with the fact that he was going up against an extremely talented and experienced field that included the likes of 2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats, multiple-time Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase champion Delta Work and National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Novices' Chase victor Gaillard Du Mesnil – and there was plenty of work to do if the Irish-bred horse was going to justify his favourite’s tag.

When the race got underway, Corach Rambler started well, staying in touch with the leaders throughout the early proceedings and disputing for fourth position at the tenth fence. Jumping fluently and maintaining a healthy speed, he and jockey Derek Fox made steady headway at the 25th and began to make a legitimate challenge for the lead.

The pair found themselves in third with two fences remaining and overtook the leaders to be in pole position at the last. They romped home over the final 100 yards to finish first past the post by more than two lengths from Vanillier and the aforementioned Gaillard Du Mesnil.

Russell was over the moon with her thoroughbred’s showing – noting that a win of this magnitude is something Corach Rambler thoroughly “deserves”.

“He’s amazing,” Russell said. “He’ll pick up on emotions. I went into his box this morning, I was really scared, not about the test because I knew I’d got the best person riding him, but you’re worried about what might go wrong and scared of the unknown. He’ll turn his head to you and he understands.

“That horse loves his sport, he loves everything he does. He is kept in the best possible conditions, and I am just so delighted that he can run in a race like that, perform like that, and he has now got greatness.”