Iroko: Profile, Record, Age & Best Races

Iroko has been touted for the Grand National at Aintree for quite some time now and trainers Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero will be hoping the JP McManus-owned runner can show his best on Merseyside.

Iroko is one of a number of McManus-owned contenders, including last year's winner I Am Maximus for Willie Mullins, taking aim at the Aintree marathon.

Name:	Iroko
Age:	7
Weight:	10st 11lb
Trainer:	Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero
Winnings:	£152,644
Cheltenham Festival wins:	1

Iroko race stats

Runs	1st	2nd	3rd
15	4	4	1

Iroko Age

Iroko is a seven-year-old gelding by Cokoriko. He aims to follow 2022 winner Noble Yeats in striking at Aintree as a seven-year-old, with that having been the first win for the generation since Bogskar in 1940.

Iroko Weight

In his most recent start, Iroko carried 11st 2lb as he finished second behind Grey Dawning in the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on 1st March. He's set to have 10st 11lb for the Grand National.

Iroko Record

Iroko has won four times in his 15-race career and made the frame on a further four occasions.

He won three times over hurdles in the 2022/23 season, the highlight coming when he won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival under Aidan Kelly.

He made a winning chase debut at Warwick (2m4f, soft) on his seasonal comeback that November but is 0-6 over the larger obstacles since.

His best effort saw him finishing second behind Inothewayurthinkin in the 3m1f Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree last season, with the Gavin Cromwell-trained winner recently landing the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Iroko has run well in three of his four starts this season, the exception when he fell at the first fence at Ascot in December when favourite for the Howden Graduation Chase.

Iroko Next Race

The next target for Iroko is the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday 5th April, for which he's currently rated an 8/1 chance.

Iroko Owner and Cost

Iroko is owned by legendary Irish businessman JP McManus, who has horses with many yards across Britain and Ireland and is widely regarded as one of the strongest supporters of National Hunt racing.

McManus's first taste of Aintree Grand National glory came in 2010 when Don't Push It scored under AP McCoy in a fairytale success for trainer Jonjo O'Neill. His second win was also of the fairytale variety, as Rachael Blackmore made worldwide headlines winning on Minella Times for Henry De Bromhead.

Last year, Paul Townend steered I Am Maximus home for trainer Willie Mullins to give McManus his third Aintree National win. The owner has also enjoyed major successes in Britain and Ireland at all the major festivals in a career of unmatched longevity.

Iroko was bred in France by Jacques Cypres and joined McManus for an unspecified fee after finishing second at Auteuil on hurdles bow in September 2021. The horse that beat him that day, Intense Raffles, is now trained in Ireland by Tom Gibney and is favourite for the Grand National.

Iroko Trainer

Iroko is trained by the partnership of Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero at Stockton Hall Farm. Oliver and Josh have known each other for many years having ridden as amateurs on the racecourse and point to pointing. They honed their skills working under the likes of Sir Mark Prescott and Philip Hobbs before joining forces to form their own partnership.

They specialise in syndicates. Looking after the owners and going racing with owners takes Oliver's full attention and so it is essential that Josh and the other staff fully focus on training the horses.

Iroko was their first Cheltenham Festival winner in 2023 and, this year, they enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success with their sole runner when Jagwar landed the Plate under Jonjo O'Neill Jr.

Iroko Official Rating

Iroko has an official BHA rating of 152 over fences, having reached 145 as a hurdler.

Iroko Prize Money

To date Iroko has pocketed £152,644 in career winnings for his connections, with his biggest payday being the £39,022 he landed in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham in March 2023.

Iroko News

The training combination are hopeful the step up to a marathon 4m2½f trip can lead to a career-best performance in the Grand National.

Iroko has been placed at the last two Grand National meetings, having finished third in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle in 2023 before his second behind Inothewayurthinkin in the Mildmay.

His final prep at Kelso was pleasing, say connections and this race has been the target for 12 months.

"It's crazy how it has panned out [the Mildmay form]. JP said as soon as he walked back in the winner's enclosure at Aintree that he's my National horse for next year so from then on we have had our target on the race," Guerriero recently told the Racing Post.

"We were happy with his run at Kelso, Grey Dawning is a very good horse and the time was very quick. The ground was a bit lively for him but it was a good experience to get him jumping at that pace."

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