Beef or Salmon tops National weights

The Michael Hourigan-trained Beef Or Salmon heads the weights for the Aintree Grand National on 11st 12lb

The Michael Hourigan-trained Beef Or Salmon heads the weights for the Aintree Grand National on 11st 12lb. The 10-time Grade One winner is followed by the David Pipe-trained Celestial Gold and Nicky Richards' Turpin Green who are both on 11st 10lb.

Ante-post favourite Mr Pointment has been handed 11st 8lb for the race.

The Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old won the Becher Chase over the National fences last November and is the general 12-1 favourite for the April 5 event.

Other leading fancies include the Willie Mullins-trained Snowy Morning who has been given 10st 12lb by handicapper Phil Smith.

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Stablemate and 2005 winner Hedgehunter is also among a record-equalling 38 Irish-trained entries along with Royal County Star (10st 7lb) and Newbay Prop (10st 1lb), who hail from Tony Martin's stable.

Point Barrow was one of the 8-1 co-favourites last year before crashing out at the first and he has been given 10st 10lb this year.

Although the 2007 winner Silver Birch misses the race due to an injury, last year's form is well represented by the second McKelvey (10st 11lb), third Slim Pickings (11st) and fourth Philson Run (10st 5lb).

They respectively carried 10st 4lb, 10st 8lb and 10st 5lb last year.

Other notable contenders include Butler's Cabin (11st), winner of the 2007 Irish Grand National for owner JP McManus and trainer Jonjo O'Neill.

Bewleys Berry, runner-up behind Mr Pointment in the Becher Chase, has been given 10st 11lb for trainer Howard Johnson with the Mercy Rimell-owned Simon (11st 4lb) and John Quinn's Character Building (10st 5lb) other noteworthy possibles.

Donald McCain, who father Ginger famously saddled four winners of the great race including the legendary Red Rum, has Cloudy Lane rated best of his runners on 10st 8lb.

Colin Tizzard's Grade One-winning novice Joe Lively has been allotted 11st 4lb while the French boast five entries including  Francois Doumen's L'Ami (10st 12lb).

A record 105 horses are in the handicap this year compared to 87 in 2007 and the four-and-a-half-mile marathon will be worth £800,000 this time around.