Ante-post favourite Blaklion features in entries for the Randox Health Grand National
Nigel Twiston-Davies' impressive Becher Chase winner was fourth last year and features in a stellar group of entries for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree.
ANTE-POST favourite Blaklion is among the 105 entries revealed today for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on April 14.
An emphatic winner of the Becher Chase over the National fences last month, Blaklion has taken his form to a new level this season and is the clear 10-1 favourite for the Aintree showpiece.
The nine-year-old was also the market leader for last year's renewal and finished a more than respectable fourth behind One For Arthur.
The 2016 RSA Chase winner will be looking to provide trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies with a third National success following the victories of Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002).
Brian Ellison's Cotswold Chase winner Definitly Red was pulled-up in last season's Grand National after his saddle slipped. He could be a major contender once more after his impressive win on Cheltenham Trials Day, although he will first return to Prestbury Park for the Gold Cup in March.
Kim Bailey's 2016 Grand National runner-up The Last Samuri, another who ran in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, is prominent in the market once again.
The Irish are responsible for 40 entries, a quarter of which are trained by Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins.
The Gigginstown House Stud operation own 11 horses entered in the famous race, despite protests last season from Gigginstown owner Michael O'Leary over the weights given to some of his horses.
There are some big-name absentees from the list of entries, most notably Colin Tizzard's Native River and Nicky Henderson's Ladbrokes Trophy Chase runner-up Whisper.
Tizzard still has three entries in Sizing Codelco, The Dutchman, a 13-length winner of the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock earlier this month, and Third Intention.
Joe Tizzard, assistant to his father, said: "The Dutchman would have to be our leading hope after his last run at Haydock. He will head back up there in three weeks for the Grand National Trial and go from there.
Templegate's treble
NAP 3.00 Chelmsford - Ocean Of Love: 'Bolted up last time and is an improving filly'
NEXT BEST 2.25 Chelmsford - Harvest Day: 'Hard to beat after his last win'
TREBLE 5.15 Newcastle - Ghost: 'Can improve now making her handicap debut'
"He has gone up 13lb to 148, so he should get a run in the National. It looks like he will stay that sort of trip and he jumps nicely.
"It was a strong run first time out at Haydock (second behind Sam Spinner in the Betfair Stayers' Handicap) and we possibly went back to the well too quickly at Cheltenham with him. He was hugely impressive at Haydock last time."
The Grand National weights will be unveiled on the evening of Tuesday, February 13, during a special ceremony at BAFTA in London's West End.