Racing: Hedgehunter is on course for the Aintree Grand National on Saturday week but trainer Willie Mullins believes the Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up is a "very short price".
After finishing a gallant second to War Of Attrition in the blue riband, the 10-year-old was slashed in the ante-post lists and is the general 5-1 joint favourite alongside Clan Royal.
However, following his 14-length win over Royal Auclair in the National last year, Mullins' charge has been saddled with joint top weight of 11st 12lb.
"He is in very good form but he is a very short price for a horse who has to carry all of that weight," said Mullins. "Statistics and history would be against him but he is in good order.
"He has a lot of weight and I hope he runs well but it is certainly a very short price."
Hedgehunter took a tired fall at the final fence when still in contention in the 2004 National and critics have suggested a slow early pace in last year's race allowed him to get home.
"I wouldn't have thought there would be a problem with his stamina and the further he goes the better he goes, " Mullins said.
"I would have thought last year that the last two miles were slower than the first two as I think they slowed it down when Clan Royal was carried out."
Hedgehunter was the only one of Mullins' stable that performed with real distinction at the Festival, and the trainer continued: "I said before the race last year that Hedgehunter is at his best when he looks like he needs a break.
"This year he certainly wouldn't take the sight out of your eye in the parade ring before a race and with the way some of mine ran at Cheltenham, I was quite worried.
"He didn't do anything wrong before the race - he ate up and drank and did all the things that you would expect a horse travelling to do and I couldn't find an excuse not to run him and he probably ran the best race of his life.
"All year we had been looking at the Gold Cup and National and you are not going to win a Gold Cup unless you run in it.
"We were happy to go for the Gold Cup if everything was right, which it was, except for a few of our horses running disappointingly at Cheltenham.
"The handicapper has put him up to 166 now, which is the biggest rating he has ever had, and I think it was a fantastic run." PA