Minella Times is due to carry top-weight in this Saturday’s Grand National after the latest declarations for the race were made.
Henry de Bromhead’s 2021 Aintree winner was famously partnered by Rachael Blackmore to victory and will bid to follow in the hoofprints of Tiger Roll and Red Rum by winning back-to-back renewals of the National Hunt showpiece.
Chris’s Dream, a stablemate of last year’s winner, was a notable absentee as Chatham Street Lad and the injured Highland Hunter were also scratched from the leading 40 entries for the contest.
Those absences will mean that Blaklion, who placed sixth in last year’s race, has now made the cut along with Poker Party.
Death Duty is officially next to get into the race but he shares the same weight as Domaine De L’Isle so the BHA may have to intervene with their official ratings in order to decide which horse will run if required,
That scenario, while unfortunate, may be unlikely as the weather forecasts for this week in Liverpool have proved widely different among the various expert outlets.
Such forecasts will be particularly relevant to the punters that have followed the ante-post plunge on Éclair Surf as they sit desperately awaiting news of a run.
Emma Lavelle’s eight-year-old presently requires a minimum of three to come out, and the form of his second in the Eider Chase at Newcastle received a major boost last weekend when, Win My Wings trounced her rivals in the Scottish National.
Aintree clerk of the course, Sulekha Varma changed the going to good to soft, good in places on Sunday and while it is the policy of the course to ensure the going on the National course is on the easy side of good, the balancing act is nevertheless a precarious one.
Varma said: “We are unfortunately not able to plan too far ahead. Basically, the forecasters are telling us they don’t know beyond Tuesday and Wednesday – some think it is going to be dry and some think it is going to be wet. We are having to take it day by day.”
Delta Work, who was successful in the Cross Country race at the Cheltenham Festival, is 8/1 for the race with Any Second Now presently priced at 9/1.
Snow Leopardess has been the one for money in recent days and Charlie Longsdon's mare can still be found at 9/1 in places though the bookies saw support for the grey on Monday afternoon and she is now favourite with a couple of firms.
Lucinda Russell won the race in 2017 with One For Arthur and last year's Scottish Grand National winner, Mighty Thunder is rated at 33/1 to score for the Borders-based trainer.
