Last year’s 100/1 shock winner Mon Mome, who finished an excellent third in Friday’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, is among 75 performers who remain in the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National after today’s scratchings deadline and Venetia Williams’ charge is currently 10/1 second favourite with totesport for the 2010 race.
No less than 63 of the remaining horses - a remarkable 84 per cent - are still in the handicap for the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National, which takes place at Aintree at 4.15pm on Saturday, April 10. There is a maximum field size of 40, with a weight of at least 10st 7lb currently needed to make the final line up.
The John Smith’s Grand National, this year carrying a record £925,000 in prize money, is one race still to elude champion trainer Paul Nicholls but he has four chances of adding the world’s most famous chase to his CV next month. Big Fella Thanks, winner of a Grade Three handicap chase at Newbury earlier this month, is currently totesport’s 8/1 favourite for the John Smith’s Grand National, and Tricky Trickster, who was unplaced in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning the Grade Two Aon Chase on his previous start, are among Nicholls’ leading hopes.
Six of the last 11 John Smith’s Grand National winners were trained in Ireland and there are 25 contenders who could add to that record in 2010 including Vic Venturi, winner of the totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree in November, and Black Apalachi, who landed the same race in 2008. Both represent Curragh trainer Dessie Hughes.
The 2007 John Smith’s Grand National winner Silver Birch needs 11 horses to come out of the race to be guaranteed a run while Comply Or Die, successful in the 2008 renewal and runner-up in 2009, is certain of a place in this year’s line-up.
Other leading contenders include The Package, who was a fast-finishing second in the William Hill Trophy Chase at Cheltenham last week, Welsh National hero Dream Alliance and 2009 Irish Grand National winner Niche Market, who will bid to give trainer Bob Buckler his biggest success at Aintree on Saturday, April 10.
The five-day confirmation deadline for the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National is on Monday, April 5 and the final declaration stage on Thursday, April 8.
