 Grey Abbey won last year's Scottish National |
A record total of 92 horses are on 10st or above in the weights published on Tuesday for the Grand National at Aintree on 9 April. Howard Johnson's Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Grey Abbey has been allotted top weight of 11st 12lb.
Sir Rembrandt, second in 2004's Welsh National, is on 11st 10lb; 2004 Aintree winner Amberleigh House is on 11st.
Clan Royal, Lord Atterbury and Monty's Pass, who won the race in 2003, are on 10st 8lb, 10st 3lb and 11st 3lb.
Leading fancy Silver Birch has been given 10st 9lb.
The previous highest number of horses in the handicap proper was 67 in 2003.
Meanwhile, Johnson admits he is stilll unsure about running Grey Abbey and may look to Valley Henry (11st 4lb) to deliver Aintree success instead.
He said: "If Grey Abbey doesn't run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup he might go. It just depends on the ground - the softer the better.
"But he [Valley Henry] is ready for a run and in good order.
"I always thought he'd be a National horse because he's really a two-and-a-half-mile horse - that's his best trip - and if you drop him in and if the top comes off them [fences] it might make him more enthusiastic.
"Once you've got the first circuit out of the way and he's got into a rhythm, I think it might rekindle a horse like him."
MMIX
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