The weights have been published today. Will try to find some info, meanwhile, here's a blurb from the
Racing Post.
BOOKMAKERS on Tuesday made clear how much the Irishhave mastered the Aintree factor as the search for the likely winner of the 2007 John Smith’s Grand National was narrowed to five horses.
With a record of five Irish wins in the last eight years having included a one-two at Aintree last April, the prize appeared ready for export again after the weights were published for the big race on Tuesday.
Despite a 33-strong entry from Ireland all the ante-post attention was on a particular quintet that comprised former winners Numbersixvalverde and Hedgehunter, Irish National winner Point Barrow, Galway Plate winner Far From Trouble and Dun Doire, who triumphed at the last Cheltenham Festival.
William Hill and
Totesport were unable to separate them as they introduced all five as 14-1 co-favourites but later
Hills cut Dun Doire and Far From Trouble to 12-1 clear joint favourites.
Connections of both confirmed they are being trained for the race after handicapper Phil Smith allotted Dun Doire, easy winner of last year’s
William Hill Handicap Chase, 10st8lb, and Far From Trouble, one of owner J P McManus’s main hopes this year, 10st 10lb.
Martin said: “I’d have to be delighted with that. I think 10st 8lb is a lovely weight down low for him. You can never really know how well they’re weighted with theLiverpool factor coming into play but it seems grand.
“The most important thing is just to get him there in one piece and if he gets a touch of luck in running that’s a lovely weight. I definitely think we’d like to give him one run and possibly a couple before we get there but I wouldn’t know where he’ll go yet.”
Trainer Christy Roche will be attempting to become the first person to have ridden the winner of the Derby and train a Grand National winner since Tom Cannon, Lester Piggott’s grandfather, won both in 1882 and 1888.
He said: “It sounds a good weight - about what we were expecting. I imagine it would be a good racing weight. We are looking towards Cheltenham first though, as the National wasn’t in the original plan.”
This year’s handicap features joint top weights of Exotic Dancer, a leading Cheltenham Gold Cup hope, and Hedgehunter, the 2005 Grand National winner and last year’s runner-up, on 11st 12lb with Forget The Past, Fota Island, also from Ireland, and Louping D’Ainay, a former winner of the French equivalent, on 11st 9lb