Iroko team plotting path to Aintree

2025 Grand National 4th Iroko seen with jockey Jonjo O’Neill racing at Haydock Park. Credit JTW Equine Images / Alamy.

Iroko’s connections are once more plotting a path to Merseyside in the spring after seeing their charge bag a pre-Christmas win at Ascot.

The Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero-trained Iroko was sent off favourite for the Grand National at Aintree in the spring and finished a very honourable fourth as Nick Rockett bagged the prize for Willie and Patrick Mullins.

That was just the eighth start of his career over fences and, set to turn eight on New Year’s Day, plans are taking shape for another crack at the National.

Form this season looks stellar

Iroko won a three-runner 2m5f graduation chase at Ascot on the Saturday before Christmas, finishing strongly to beat Irish raiders Firefox (Gordon Elliott) and James Du Berlais (Willie Mullins).

That was an improvement on last year when he was favourite for the same Ascot race but came down at the first under Jonjo O’Neill Jr after getting a bump in the air.

This time things were smooth, Iroko always travelling sweetly under his rider before challenging Firefox at the last and then powering away to score by four and three-quarter lengths.

“I know it was only a three-runner field but they quickened fairly up the hill and he really had to grind it out. He just takes time to get into gear. It was good to see him lengthen and get his head down – it was good and he’s done well,” said joint-trained Greenall at Ascot.

While he was in his box at home resting on Boxing Day, Iroko’s connections would have noted the King George finish, where The Jukebox Man thwarted Irish duo Banbridge and Gaelic Warrior in a Kempton cracker.

Iroko was second to The Jukebox Man at Haydock in their Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase in November, beaten only two-and-a-half-lengths – form that looks impressive now with his conqueror bagging the major festive Grade 1 prize in England.

Familiar plans in play

Iroko was a Cheltenham Festival winner over hurdles in 2023 but there are no plans to be in the Cotswolds come the spring.

Instead, a trip north to Kelso for their Premier Chase in early March may once again serve as a prep for Aintree as Greenall ponders the development of his charge.

“We might go back to Kelso, where he was second to Grey Dawning last year. It’s two miles seven [furlongs] and a nice track and not many runners go there. Then we’ll probably miss Cheltenham and go straight to the Grand National,” he added.

“Trainers always say horses have strengthened up, but he seems a lot better this year. Jonjo comes and rides him out and he says so.”

Iroko was raised 4lb to an official mark of 155 after his Ascot win over Firefox – leaving him currently rated 3lb higher than when fourth in the Grand National last season.