Venetia Williams sounded a cautionary warning to punters that the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup remains Teeton Mill's main priority this season, despite the fact that the 10-year-old remains the 10 to 1 favourite for the Aintree Grand National with bookmakers after yesterday's unveiling of the weights.

The King George VI Chase winner has been awarded top-weight of 12st for the £420,000-guaranteed Aintree spectacular, 1lb ahead of Suny Bay who has finished second in the last two runnings of the race.

Williams said: "Teeton Mill is entered in the Gold Cup and that is his main aim. We will see what happens there first.

"He is a strong possibility to run at Ascot a week on Saturday."

But stable-mate General Wolfe - in the same ownership as Teeton Mill - is definitely on course for Aintree. "The Grand National is General Wolfe's main aim and we were amazed how well he came out of his fall at Uttoxeter on Saturday," Williams added.

British Horseracing Handicapper Phil Smith, framing the weights for the first time this year, has dropped the rating of Teeton Mill by 1lb and Suny Bay by 2lb in an attempt to get more horses into the handicap at Aintree.

As a result, 29 horses have 10st or more in the weights published yesterday compared to 25 last year.

The highest weighted of the 16 Irish-trained horses left in is Ted Walsh's Papillon on 10-1, with Anabatic next on 9-5. Michael O'Brien, trainer of Anabatic, said: " At this stage he is an intended runner, though it depends how he gets on between now and then. He may run on Thursday at Thurles.

"He could go well in the National as he likes good ground, he is a good jumper and has plenty of pace."

Sunday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup second Escartefigue has 11st 8lb, with Pillar Chase victor Cyfor Malta on 11st 4lb and recent Uttoxeter faller General Wolfe 11st 1lb.