Papillon likely to carry top weight

Last year's Jameson Irish Grand National runner-up, Papillon, again looks set to carry top weight in the big race at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.

Forty-nine horses were in the entries announced yesterday, including 18 British-trained horses, but the top seven in the weights are unlikely to take part.

The Gold Cup winner, See More Business, will not run again this season and the Cheltenham runner-up, Go Ballistic, has a number of more likely options, including the following Saturday's Aintree Grand National.

Imperial Call is also unlikely to take part after his late withdrawal from the Gold Cup and Baronet is being kept for Aintree.

Papillon ran eight in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, a meeting he also ran at last year before running a blinder under 12 st at Fairyhouse. On that occasion he went down by just half a length to Bobbyjo, and a return has been top of Ted Walsh's list of priorities since.

"I more or less expected he would be top weight again but if he is alive and well he will be back at Fairyhouse. He ran in a more competitive race at Cheltenham this year but he has come back just as well," Walsh said. Bobbyjo's connections still have to decide if the horse will have another crack at the Fairyhouse race or wait for the Aintree National instead.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Fiddling The Facts is rated a pound ahead of Papillon but the mare is unlikely to travel.

"If she gets 12 st, she will not run at Fairyhouse and the softer ground at Aintree is more suitable for her, too. It looks like Aintree," Henderson said.

That is likely to leave Him Of Praise as the top-rated English horse in a race last won by a raider in 1997 with Mudahim. His trainer, Oliver Sherwood, said yesterday: "He is a possible runner. The weight is not a problem but he must have soft ground."

This year's festival shows a 26 per cent increase in prize-money to £533,000. On the Tuesday, the inaugural Powers Handicap Hurdle will have a value of £75,000, with Master Beveled, trained in Wales by David Evans, top of the weights on 12 st. Shankar and Road Racer are the other British-trained entries for this two-mile race.