There are 75 horses left in the Grand National following the second scratching stage including Mon Mome who finished a fantastic third in last week’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The withdrawals include the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War of Attrition, Ryanair Chase winner Albertas Run, Taranis and Possol.

Although withdrawn from the National, Albertas Run could still feature at Aintree, either in the Bowl on the 8th April or the Melling Chase the following day.

Both Madison du Berlais and Notre Pere remain the top-weight double at 11st 10lb, Mon Mome will carry 11st 7lb should the other two stand their ground.

Mon Mome last year’s surprise 100/1 Grand National winner, has been cut in the betting after his impressive show at Cheltenham and is now priced at 12/1, trainer Venetia Williams is not bothered if Mon Mome is allocated more weight, she stated ‘at the end of the day, it’s only a matter of 3lb, it’s not the be all and end all. Three pounds is not a major difference in the great scheme of things’.

Mon Mome’s current allocated weight for this year’s Grand National is already an increase of 7lb from last year.

The only horse that the betting market identifies pricewise as more likely to beat Mon Mome is the Paul Nicholls’ trained Big Fella Thanks (10/1). He is the shortest priced runner at the Grand National, should he win, it would be Nicholls’ first Grand National success.

Barry Geraghty gave Big Fella Thanks a great ride in the Raymond Mould Supporting Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury earlier this month. With Ruby Walsh likely to pick Nicholls’ other short priced National runner Tricky Trickster (14/1), Nicholls can rest assured that this year he may saddle a Grand National winner.

Niche Market (16/1) finished ninth to Chief Dan George (33/1) in the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham last week, the result does not tell the full story. He was ridden forward to get a position handy to the pace and after leading four out, he hit the next fence and weakened.

Silver Birch (50/1), who won the 2007 Grand National as a 33-1 shot with Robbie Power on board, requires 11 horses to pull out of the race to be assured of a run.

Comply or Die (25/1) managed to finish second last year and is certain of a place in this year’s Grand National.

The Grand National is the only race in which weights are allotted at the discretion of the British Horseracing Authority’s Head of Handicapping, Phil Smith.

Handicapper Phil Smith thinks that Chief Dan George is now best-in at the weights for the National.

Despite his win in the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham, James Moffatt’s charge still only lies in 57th position on the list, needing 17 to come out to get a run. Moffatt decided to maintain his entry to the race as he would never get into the race on a mark of 136 again, in which he is currently given 10st 2lb.

The confirmation stage is on April 5^th and the final declaration stage on April 8^th.

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At the first scratching stage for this year’s Grand National 13 horses had their entries withdrawn leaving 98 that remain entered.

The withdrawals include Irish Invader, who finished 11^th last year, and Siegemaster, who fell last year and finished third in this season’s Thyestes Chase.

The weights remain unchanged as the entries for the top-weight trio of Albertas Run, Madison Du Berlais and Notre Pere all remain.

Tricky Trickster still heads the betting at 12/1. Paul Nicholls will be hoping that the Aon Chase winner is able to help him finally break his National duck. If the ante-post favourite can’t oblige the champion trainer still has last year’s third My Will (40/1), 2008 Ryanair Chase winner Taranis (40/1), outsider Nozic (66/1) plus last year’s sixth and this year’s joint second favourite Big Fella Thanks (16/1)

Three others share second favouritism with Nicholls’ eight-year-old. The first is Niche Market who lost to Tricky Trickster by a short head in the Aon Chase. He won the Irish Grand National last year so has the talent to jump well and stay the mammoth four-and-a-half mile trip at Aintree.

Backstage, also at 16/1, shares the same sire as last year’s winner Mon Mome, who is 25/1 to make it two Nationals in a row.

The others available at the 16/1 price are the recent Bobbyjo Chase winner Vic Venturi and the runner-up in the same race Black Apalachi. They are two of the remaining Irish contenders for this year’s race. Irish raiders have a fantastic recent record in the Grand National as they have won six of the last 11 renewals.

The remaining 98 will be further cut at the second scratching stage on 23 March and then comes the five-day confirmation deadline on 5 April, ahead of the big race on 10 April.

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