RACING: Exotic Dancer (11st 10lb) is confirmed as top weight for the 2009 John Smith's Grand National, ensuring the Jonjo O'Neill trained star is head of the weights once more, just like in 2007.
In 2007 Exotic Dancer beat the heavily-fancied Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before gaining a richly-deserved Grade One success in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown last time out.
Of the 120 entries 61 remain in the handicap (weighted down to and including the minimum 10 stone) for jump racing’s most famous prize, which is worth a record £900,000 this year. A maximum field of 40 will go to post at 4.15pm on Saturday, April 4th.
The John Smith’s Grand National is the only race in which the British Horseracing Authority’s Head of Handicapping Phil Smith can use his discretion in determining which weight he allots each horse. His findings were unveiled today in London attended by a host of jump racing’s biggest names.
Second in the weights is Madison Du Berlais (11st 8lb), this season’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner and conqueror of Denman at Kempton on Saturday. He represents last year’s winning trainer, David Pipe.
Comply Or Die (10st 12lb), the 2008 National winner, must carry an additional 3lb if he is to become the first horse since Red Rum in 1973/1974 to win consecutive renewals while Silver Birch has 10st 6lb this year - identical to the weight he carried to victory in 2007.
Other horses that have winning form over the Grand National fences are Black Apalachi (10st 11lb), who landed the totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree in November,
The last two horses are both in the care of champion trainer Paul Nicholls who could also be represented by recent Sky Bet Chase victor Big Fella Thanks (10st 7lb) and My Will (10st 10lb), an eye-catching fifth on his seasonal reappearance in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, and five others.
Six of the last 10 renewals have gone the way of Irish-trained horses, while last year the Arthur Moore-trained King Johns Castle (10st 10lb) only found Comply Or Die too good with Snowy Morning (11st), from the Willie Mullins yard, in third place.
The 35 Irish-trained entries this time around also include last season’s Irish Grand National victor Hear The Echo (10st 11lb), one of the leading ante-post fancies and this season’s Welsh National scorer Notre Pere (11st 4lb), from the Jim Dreaper yard.
Hear The Echo is owned by Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary and trained by Mouse Morris, and the owner/trainer combination could also be represented by 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition (11st 1llb).
Other leading ante-post fancies include the 2007 Irish Grand National victor, Butler’s Cabin (10st 5lb), who was travelling well when falling at Becher’s on the second circuit last year, the John Quinn-trained Character Building (9st 12lb) and Cloudy Lane (11st 2lb) from the famous McCain stable who was sixth when starting joint-favourite in 2008.
Julian Thick, Aintree’s managing director, said: “Interest in the John Smith’s Grand National really gathers momentum following the annual weights lunch and this year’s contest will be as competitive as ever with just over half the entries in the handicap at this stage.”