Grand National 2017: O'Faolains Boy tops Timeform ratings

By Timeform — published 14th February 2017

The weights for the 2017 Aintree Grand National have now been released - check out the top 10 horses on provisional Timeform weight-adjusted ratings here.

O’Faolains Boy tops the provisional Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for the 2017 Grand National due to take place at Aintree at 5.15pm on Saturday, April 8.

Trained by Rebecca Curtis, O’Faolains Boy was last seen finishing seventh in the 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup but is expected to make a belated return to action this weekend, with the 10-year-old entered for a handicap chase at Ascot. O’Faolains Boy has been allotted an official BHA rating of 148, with a weight of 10st 6lb.

Timeform Senior Handicapper Phil Turner said: "O'Faolains Boy has clearly had plenty of issues since winning the RSA Chase back in 2014. He missed the following campaign and has been pulled up as if amiss more than once, but his wide-margin defeat of Sausalito Sunrise last season showed all his ability was still there, as did the way he shaped for most of the way in the Cheltenham Gold Cup - he's potentially thrown in off a BHA mark of 148."

Gallant Oscar is second best on provisional Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, spearheading a quartet of horses owned by J.P. McManus which is made up of the Jonjo O’Neill-trained pair of More Of That (11st 1lb) and Minella Rocco (11st 2lb), followed by the dual Irish Gold Cup winner Carlingford Lough (11st 6lb).

Grand National Trial favourite Bishops Road is joint fifth-best on provisional Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and has been allotted 10st 5lb, sharing that spot with Don Poli (11st 7lb) and Le Mercurey (10st 9lb). Champagne West is next (11st 9lb) while the weights are headed by Outlander (11st 10lb) who was seen winning the Grade 1 contest at Leopardstown in December and is one of 14 Gordon Elliott-trained entries. The trainer also has Empire of Dirt (11st 8lb) who shares 10^th spot in the provisional Timeform weight-adjusted ratings with both Outlander and Houblon des Obeaux (10st 7lb).

Willie Mullins has five entries headed by Alelchi Inois (11st 3lb), while last year’s winning trainer Mouse Morris will try to emulate Rule The World’s win with Rogue Angel (10st 3lb), Thunder And Roses (10st 2lb) or Dromnea (9st 9lb). Last year’s runner-up The Last Samuri, trained by Kim Bailey, has been allotted 11st 5lb.

Paul Nicholls won the Aintree spectacular in 2012 with Neptune Collonges and he has Saphir du Rheu (11st), Vicente (10st 5lb) and Wonderful Charm (10st 11lb) amongst the 109 entries, while David Pipe, responsible for 2008 winner Comply Or Die, has six entries led by Vieux Lion Rouge (10st 10lb).