Full Replay - Don't Push It wins Grand National

JOHN SMITH'S GRAND NATIONAL Aintree, Saturday 9 April
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Radio 5 live and online

Don't Push It, who won the 2010 Grand National for Tony McCoy, tops the weights for this year's race at Aintree.

The 11-year-old has been allocated 11st 10lb, which is 5lb more than the winner carried to victory last time.

Deep Purple and Tatenen were among eight horses scratched from the race on 22 March, leaving 74 entries.

Those remaining include What A Friend, part-owned by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, on 11st 6lb.

No horse has won the National carrying more than 11st 5lb since Red Rum's record third victory, under 11st 8lb, in 1977.

A maximum field of 40 will line up for the famous four-and-a-half mile handicap chase over demanding fences such as Becher's Brook and The Chair.

The final field is determined by each contender's rating, with the highest-weighted horses given preference.

Don't Push It, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and now aged 11, ended McCoy's wait for an elusive Grand National win when the champion jockey finally won the race at the 15th attempt.

The Northern Irishman, who was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, will have to decide nearer the time whether to stay loyal to the 2010 winner or choose another horse owned by his employer JP McManus, with Welsh National winner Synchronised among the possibles.

Don't Push It ran an encouraging race at the Cheltenham Festival when a staying-on 10th in the Pertemps Final, the same contest used for his Aintree preparation last year.

Champion trainer Nicholls is himself seeking his first Grand National victory and has one of the leading ante-post market leaders in Niche Market, who has been allocated 10st 13lb.

Nicholls has indicated he believes Ruby Walsh could ride him, although the top Irish jockey could also pick from the Willie Mullins entries.

Walsh won the 2005 National on Hedgehunter for Mullins, whose hopefuls this time include The Midnight Club, on the same mark as Niche Market.

The highest rated of the Mullins team are Dooneys Gate (11st 4lb) and Scotsirish (11st 2lb).

Behind the top weight, Howard Johnson's Tidal Bay has been allotted 11st 9lb for what would be a first try over the National fences, while the Neil Mulholland-trained Midnight Chase is next on 11st 8lb.

Ballabriggs, who is as low as 14-1 with some bookmakers, has been handed 11st.

RECENT NATIONAL WINNERS 2010 Don't Push It 10-1 209 Mon Mome 100-1 2008 Comply Or Die 7-1 2007 Silver Birch 33-1 2006 Numbersixvalverde 11-1 2005 Hedgehunter 7-1

Other interesting contenders include Big Fella Thanks (11st 1lb) and West End Rocker (10st 5lb).

Merigo won last year's Scottish National and he has been given 10st 1lb in the initial list while the 2010 Irish National winner Bluesea Cracker has 10st 4lb.

Becauseicouldntsee is another to note on 10st 8lb while Evan Williams has State Of Play (10st 6lb) who has finished fourth and third in the last two renewals.

Some of last year's runners could be back for another crack with fifth Hello Bud (10st 5lb), and seventh Character Building (10st 4lb) among the entries.

David Pipe sent out Comply Or Die to win in 2008 and that horse has 10st 8lb this time while stablemate Or Noir De Somoza has 11st 5lb.

Dermot Weld's Majestic Concorde is an eyecatching entry on 11st 5lb, while Jonjo O'Neill's Quolibet has 10st 8lb.

The final weights will rise if Don't Push It does not run.

Grand National entries scratched: Deep Purple, Tatenen

Aintree Grand National entries

Number Form Name Weight Age Trainer

1) 23P1-P000 DON'T PUSH IT (IRE) 11-11-10 Jonjo O'Neill

2) 104-3226 TIDAL BAY (IRE) 10-11-09 Howard Johnson

3) 1-411115 MIDNIGHT CHASE 9-11-08 Neil Mulholland

4) 131-5613 SYNCHRONISED (IRE) 8-11-06 Jonjo O'Neill

5) 501B-0044 VIC VENTURI (IRE) 11-11-06 Dessie Hughes IRE

6) 61/211-524 WHAT A FRIEND 8-11-06 Paul Nicholls

7) U62/1-31 MAJESTIC CONCORDE (IRE) 8-11-05 Dermot Weld IRE

8) 2F1425 OR NOIR DE SOMOZA (FR) 9-11-05 Racing David Pipe

9) 01F24-41 DOONEYS GATE (IRE) 10-11-04 Willie Mullins IRE

10) 20-35344 SCOTSIRISH (IRE) 10-11-02 Willie Mullins IRE

11) 2U14-2F44 BIG FELLA THANKS 9-11-01 Ferdy Murphy

12) 3111-112 BALLABRIGGS (IRE) 10-11-00 Donald McCain

13) 205-244 THE TOTHER ONE (IRE) 10-11-00 Paul Nicholls

14) 520P-F50 NICHE MARKET (IRE) 10-10-13 Paul Nicholls

15) U3133-21 THE MIDNIGHT CLUB (IRE) 10-10-13 Willie Mullins IRE

16) 0BP-500 BACKSTAGE (FR) 9-10-12 Gordon Elliott IRE

17) 30011-053F CHIEF DAN GEORGE (IRE) 11-10-12 Jimmy Moffatt

18) 5121-001 SILVER BY NATURE 9-10-12 Lucinda Russell

19) 4UP-2500 NOTRE PERE (FR) 10-10-11 Barry Potts IRE

20) 4-56242 CALGARY BAY (IRE) 8-10-10 Henrietta Knight

21) P2P-2536 KILLYGLEN (IRE) 9-10-10 Stuart Crawford IRE

22) 3152-263 OSCAR TIME (IRE) 10-10-09 Martin Lynch IRE

23) 0100-03 BALLYTRIM (IRE) 10-10-08 Willie Mullins IRE

24) 2212-42 BECAUSEICOULDNTSEE (IRE) 8-10-08 Noel Glynn IRE

25) 2/000-06P COMPLY OR DIE (IRE) 12-10-08 David Pipe

26) 1-122B0 NEDZER'S RETURN (IRE) 9-10-08 Gordon Elliott IRE

27) P-5500423 NORTHERN ALLIANCE (IRE) 10-10-08 Tony Martin IRE

28) 510-1131 QUINZ (FR) 7-10-08 Philip Hobbs

29) 2F-FF25P QUOLIBET (FR) 7-10-08 Jonjo O'Nell

30) 11FP10P GRAND SLAM HERO (IRE) 10-10-07 Nigel Twiston-Davies

31) 3P6/454-P6 ROLL ALONG (IRE) 11-10-07 Nigel Twiston-Davies

32) 3211-11P5 KING FONTAINE (IRE) 8-10-06 Malcolm Jefferson

33) 0/144/P3- STATE OF PLAY 11-10-06 Evan Williams

34) 005P-1P HELLO BUD (IRE) 13-10-05 Nigel Twiston-Davies

35) 566U-3431U IN COMPLIANCE (IRE) 11-10-05 Dessie Hughes IRE

36) 6-2200010 SANTA'S SON (IRE) 11-10-05 Howard Johnson

37) 2P/00-11P WEST END ROCKER (IRE) 9-10-05 Alan King

38) 0C21-046 BLUESEA CRACKER (IRE) 9-10-04 James Motherway IRE

39) 16F-0P5P CAN'T BUY TIME (IRE) 9-10-04 Jonjo O'Neill

40) 000-30563 CHARACTER BUILDING (IRE) 11-10-04 John Quinn

41) 1215/1P/-52 ORNAIS (FR) 9-10-04 Paul Nicholls

42) 00P-234PP PIRAYA (FR) 8-10-04 David Pipe

43) PP2/111/-0 SURFACE TO AIR 10-10-04 Chris Bealby

44) 3010500 THAT'S RHYTHM (FR) 11-10-04 Martin Todhunter

45) 0U2F-0P2 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) 9-10-03 Willie Mullins IRE

46) 1F3U-P1U FRANKIE FIGG (IRE) 9-10-03 Howard Johnson

47) 1P0-053U0 ONE COOL COOKIE (IRE) 10-10-03 Charlie Swan IRE

48) 013111- OUR MONTY (IRE) 8-10-03 Willie Mullins IRE

49) P5U-42P ROYAL ROSA (FR) 12-10-03 Howard Johnson

50) 0P1-00600 ALWAYS WAINING (IRE) 10-10-02 Peter Bowen

51) 4210010 GOLDEN KITE (IRE) 9-10-02 Adrian Maguire IRE

52) 41/313-011 SKIPPERS BRIG (IRE) 10-10-02 Nicky Richards

53) 1F4/22-1PP BELON GALE (IRE) 8-10-01 Howard Johnson

54) 3/402P-02 FAASEL (IRE) 10-10-01 David Pipe

55) 3P-02043P LE BEAU BAI (FR) 8-10-01 Richard Lee

56) 0D61-0F0 MERIGO (FR) 10-10-01 Andrew Parker

57) 321112 PUTNEY BRIDGE 9-10-01 Keith Goldsworthy

58) 256-02162 ASKTHEMASTER (IRE) 11-10-00 Robert Tyner IRE

59) 363221-2 DEV (IRE) 11-10-00 Gordon Elliott IRE

60) F123-P22 GILES CROSS (IRE) 9-10-00 Victor Dartnall

61) 111U0-660 SADDLERS STORM (IRE) 9-10-00 Tony Martin IRE

62) 11P61/0/- STARZAAN (IRE) 12-10-00 Hughie Morrison

63) 60U0-6042 AMBOBO (USA) 11-9-13 Martin Brassil IRE

64) 05241P6 DUERS (IRE) 9-9-13 Paul Magnier IRE

65) 31-PP11P SAGALYRIQUE (FR) 7-9-13 Donald McCain

66) 311120-P TOBY JUG 10-9-13 Sarah Humphrey

67) 5/2613-PP GALANT NUIT (FR) 7-9-12 Ferdy Murphy

68) 3131-321 JUNIOR 8-9-12 David Pipe

69) 00-506420 THE SAWYER (BEL) 11-9-12 Bob Buckler

70) 40F-044522 BALLYFITZ 11-9-09 Nigel Twiston-Davies

71) P0-24U344 I'MONCLOUDNINE (IRE) 8-9-09 Neil Mulholland

72) PF4-5365 POMME TIEPY (FR) 8-9-09 Willie Mullins IRE

73) F/116PP-P TREACLE (IRE) 10-9-04 Bjorn Nielsen IRE

74) 560-P23221 REGAL HEIGHTS (IRE) 10-9-02 Tom George

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version