The 2023 American Grand National runners will see 8 horses heading to post on Saturday for the $300,000 Far Hills race and, like recent years, there’s a strong Irish presence with former winning trainer Gordon Elliott having a runner, plus Cheltenham Festival winner Seddon also making the trip.
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2023 American Grand National: Can The Irish Win It Again?
The American Grand National is in danger of being renamed to the Irish Grand National II as two of the last four runnings of the Far Hills race have been gone to Ireland.
Hewick and Jury Duty have flown the flag for the Emerald Isle with wins in 2018 and 2022, plus with two more big Irish horses in Salvador Ziggy and Seddon flying over this Saturday – it could be more of the same in 2023.
This pair are the clear favorites with the best US horse racing betting sites and it will be long odds-on that one of them is winning the 2m5f Grand National Hurdle Stakes this weekend.
The home-based Snap Decision, who has been runner-up in the race before, and Scorpion’s Revenge from the two-time winning barn of Cyril Murphy look the main US runners to try and upset the Irish applecart.
When Is The 2023 American Grand National?
🕙Time: 4:32pm (ET
📅Date: Saturday 21st Oct 2023
🏇Racecourse: Far Hills
💰: Winner: $250,000 purse
📺 TV: FOX Sports
🎲 Odds: Salvador Ziggy 6-5 | Seddon 11-8 | Snap Decision 7-1 | 12-1 Bar
2023 American Grand National Runners: Salvador Ziggy & Seddon The Big Two
Scorpion’s Revenge:
From the Cyril Murphy yard that won this race in 2015 and 2016. Last seen running third in the Iroquois Hurdle Stakes at Percy Warner Park in May, but also had Snap Decision in front of him that day.
Seddon:
Big player from Ireland that was a Cheltenham Festival winner this year too after winning the Plate (watch below). Has warmed up for this with solid runs at Killarney and Galway in recent months and from his 15 starts over hurdles have only been out of the first three four times (4 wins). Should be bang-there in what could be an Irish ding-dong in the closing stages.
Jimmy P:
The mount of jockey Danny Mullins, who won this race in 2017 with Mr. Hot Stuff. This US runner will be the youngest in the field at 5, but we have seen two winners of that age since 2015. Could also have more to come and was a fair second at Saratoga in their Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Steeplechase at the end of August, with Mullins riding that day too.
Snap Decision:
Runner-up in the American Grand National in 2021 but flopped 12 months ago when 6th and beaten 44 lengths. Has since left that run behind with better efforts and blew away the cobwebs for this with a 4th in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap Hurdle at Belmont last month. Better expected in a race we know he can go well in and looks one of the main home-trained hopes.
Noah And The Ark:
Formerly with Aintree Grand National-winning trainer Donald McCain, but now run in the US. Won the Lonesome Glory in 2022, but form has tailed off a bit since; so a fair bit to answer.
Salvador Ziggy:
Another of the big Irish players and could be this year’s American Grand National favourite. From the Gordon Elliott camp that won this race in 2018 with Jury Duty and is another that raced at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, when second in the Pertemps Final Network Hurdle (watch below).
Has since switched to fences with wins at Tramore and Killarney, while last time put up his best effort to date chasing with a second in the Kerry National. His proven stamina will be a plus and reverting back to hurdles will be fine; looks the one to beat.
Merry Maker:
Won the Lonesome Glory Hurdle at Belmont last time out, with Snap Decision back in fourth. More on his plate here against the two big Irish horses, but if running to that same level as last time here is not without place claims.
Mortlach:
Former UK runner with trainer Fergal O’Brien and had some fair form in England. However, his first run over the sticks in the US for new trainer William Dowling was far from encouraging, when beaten 21 lengths in the Iroquois and has also not been since for 161 days. The likely outsider and that tells you all you need to know.
Far Hills Track Going Expected To Be Soft – But Looking In Great Shape
Checking out the perch at @FarHillsRace! Let’s hope it’s like this tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/LCNu2HuIm9
— Larry Collmus (@larrycollmus) October 20, 2023
American Grand National Trends and Stats
See below some key American Grand National trends to apply to the 2023 race.
- 3 of the last 4 winners were UK or Irish-trained
- Trainer Cyril Murphy won the race in 2015 and 2016
- 7 of the last 8 winners aged between 5 and 9
- Jockey Danny Mullins won the race in 2017
- Trainer Gordon Elliott won the race in 2018
2023 American Grand National Pick
- 1st SALVADOR ZIGGY
- 2nd Seddon
- 3rd Snap Decision
It’s hard to see beyond the two big Irish runners – SALVADOR ZIGGY and Seddon, with preference just for the former.
This Gordon Elliott-trained 7 year-old is 3 years the younger of Seddon and that could be the difference. He showed the last day when second in the Kerry National that he’s still improving and we also know he stays further than this 2m5f trip, having won over 3m.
Connection are sure to make full use of this proven stamina, with this distance right on the cusp of Seddon’s stamina.
The Irish pair are expected to fight it out in a 1-2 finish, while of the US runners, Merry Maker could outrun his odds if building on his recent Lonesome Glory win, while the 2021 runner-up of this race Snap Decision knows his way around the Far Hills track and is taken to just edge the bronze.
2023 American Grand National Betting Odds
See below the latest 2023 Grand National betting odds
- Salvador Ziggy 6-5
- Seddon 11-8
- Snap Decision 8-1
- Scorpion’s Revenge 12-1
- Jimmy P 16-1
- Noah And The Ark 25-1
- Mortlach 50-1
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Note: Odds are subject to change
American Grand National Past Winners
- 2022: Hewick
- 2021: The Mean Queen
- 2019: Brain Power
- 2018: Jury Duty
- 2017: Mr Hot Stuff
- 2016: Rawnaq
WATCH: Hewick Winning The American Grand National Last Year
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