RACING: Florida Pearl may have to wait another year before taking his chance in the Martell Cognac Grand National, despite his apparently favourable treatment at the hands of the handicapper ahead of this year's running of the world's most famous jump race.

The Willie Mullins-trained star has been set to carry joint top-weight of 11st 12lb in the contest, a burden which means he would have to give weight away to all bar recent King George VI Chase runner-up Marlborough.

But despite this, jumps handicapper Phil Smith has given connections of both horses every incentive to take their position in the final line-up by compacting the weights and ensuring that neither concedes as much as they would have to in a normal race.

"I want top-class horses to run in the race and that is why I do what I do," said Smith, as the weights for the £600,000 showpiece were unveiled yesterday.

"If a horse wins carrying 10st then that is great, but last year both What's Up Boys and Kingsmark were in the first four carrying big weights. I have made sure that the horses who finished second, third and fourth behind Bindaree in last year's race are all receiving weight from him this time around.

"Then I have looked at form from the season's other big handicaps and tried to make things as fair as possible."

However, despite Smith attempting to encourage the connections of Florida Pearl, Mullins confirmed that those hoping to see the 2001 King George winner in action over the famous big fences might have to wait another year.

"There is a 50-50 chance he will run but we will get Cheltenham out of the way first and then talk about it," he said. "I have been looking back over the races in the last 30 years and only Red Rum managed to win with 12st.

"Even L'Escargot only had 11st 3lb when he won and he won two Gold Cups. I would not say that Florida Pearl was in the same league as those two horses."

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has a record entry of 19 horses in the race, and he singled out Cyfor Malta, twice-placed Blowing Wind, and Saturday's easy Sandown winner Iris Bleu as the pick of his contingent.

"Cyfor Malta's got a nice weight but it's early days and he'll go to Cheltenham first," Pipe said. "Blowing Wind has been a bit disappointing so far this season but maybe he's a spring horse and he is saving himself for the National. He is only 4lb better off for being beaten 28 and three-quarter lengths in last year's race but hopefully he will run his race.

"Iris Bleu surprised everyone on Saturday but he has gone up 17lb for winning so we'll have to see if the handicapper is right - when Beau won the Whitbread by a distance he was put up 14lb and hasn't won a race since."

Another easy winner at the weekend was Mini Sensation, but his trainer Jonjo O'Neill expressed reservations over the chances of his charge in the race.

"He's only a little fellow and I wouldn't like to be riding him, the fences would look a bit big," O'Neill said. "If the ground is good I would rather ride Carbury Cross. He's got a lot more scope. He stays well and is in great form. We've just been waiting for the ground with him."

Davids Lad, one of 33 Irish-trained horses to be weighted, is favourite with Paddy Power and his burden of 10-13 looks appealing. His trainer Tony Martin reacted yesterday: "Davids Lad carried more than that last year (11-1) and he was going well until he came down (four out). He's in good order and I'd be happy enough with him and hopefully that's where we'll head with him. We'll just try and get a couple of runs into him.

"He'll have to have good ground. There's no point going there if it was very soft. Yielding and soft ground he'd get away with it but not heavy. Hopefully Timmy (Murphy) will be available."