Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times face a mammoth task carrying topweight if they are to repeat last year’s Randox Aintree Grand National success this Saturday.
Minella Times will carry 11.10 in the world’s most famous steeplechase which he won so memorably under Blackmore a year ago.
The defection of his stable companion Chris’s Dream at Monday’s latest conformation stage means Minella Times will have to concede weight to all his rivals.
The last horse to carry topweight to National glory was Red Rum in his second Aintree success in 1974.
Red Rum carried 12st on that occasion compared to just 10.5 a year previously when overhauling Crisp in a legendary performance.
Minella Times had just 10.3 on his back last year when beating his stable companion Blako Des Flos by six and a half lengths.
The closest any topweight has come to success since Red Rum was when Many Clouds scored in 2015 carrying 11.9.
Irish entries
A total of 73 entries remain in the National but that will be cut to a final field of 40 at Thursday’s final declaration. A quartet of reserves will also be nominated to replace any late non-runner prior to 1.00 on Friday afternoon.
A total of 35 Irish-trained entries remains with Delta Work and last year’s third, Any Second Now, close to Minella Times at the top of the weights.
The latter’s stable companion Poker Party is assured of a place in the final field after Monday’s acceptance stage having got in at number 40.
Gordon Elliott’s Death Duty, a National Trial winner at Punchestown in February, is number 41 while Noel Meade’s Paddy Power Chase winner, School Boy Hours, could struggle to get a run as number 46.
The going at Aintree was “good to soft” on Monday and officials are adopting a watching brief on any potential watering later this week.
“Thursday, Friday and Saturday are looking mostly dry at the moment. At one time they were suggesting it was heavy rain on Friday but that seems to have petered out.
“The other thing is the showers [on Wednesday] could be quite wintry. The good thing is they say the snow will be over high ground but it has the potential to be a bit wintry – in April!
“We are just having to take it day by day. We are certainly hoping that through to Thursday we won’t need to water again,” said clerk of the course, Sulekha Varma.
