Hughes happy with weight

Connections of Timbera are hopeful the 11-year-old can make up for last year's disappointment in the John Smith's Grand National on April 9th.

Timbera was the ante-post favourite for the Aintree showpiece but was pulled out of the race at the 11th hour after scoping badly. Timbera has been allotted 10st 8lb in the weights published yesterday for the £700,000 spectacular which has pleased his trainer Dessie Hughes.

Giving his reaction to British Horseracing Board handicapper Phil Smith's assessment, Hughes said: "That's lovely. I'd be happy with that - that's great.

"He's in good form. He was late coming back in and then he got a bit of mucus in him which slowed things up a bit - that's what kept him out the race last year - hopefully he's over it now and we can carry on. "His target is the National and he'll have two runs before, wherever we can find a conditions chase. He likes goodish ground. He won the Irish National on goodish ground. He's won on heavy but his best run was the Irish National. He ran well (second) at Cheltenham in the four-miler on quick ground.

"Conor O'Dwyer could ride if he didn't have a better ride."

A record total of 92 horses are on 10st or above in the weights. The previous highest number of horses in the handicap proper was 67 two years ago.

Howard Johnson's totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Grey Abbey has been allotted top weight of 11st 12lb with Sir Rembrandt, runner-up to Best Mate in last year's blue riband, next on 11st 10lb.

Johnson has not totally ruled out running Grey Abbey. He said: "If Grey Abbey doesn't run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup he might go. It just depends on the ground with Grey Abbey - the softer the better."

The County Durham trainer could run Valley Henry (11st 4lb), who is due to make his belated reappearance in the Aon Chase at Newbury on Saturday.

Last year's winner Amberleigh House is on 11st while the horses that followed him home Clan Royal, Lord Atterbury and Monty's Pass, who took the great race in 2003, are on 10st 8lb, 10st 3lb and 11st 3lb respectively.

Amberleigh House's trainer Ginger McCain is delighted with his weight as he was expecting a heavier burden for his 13-year-old.

He said: "It's a grand weight no question. It's 2lb less than I'd thought he'd get."

Irish-trained runners in bold

GREY ABBEY 11 11 12 Howard Johnson; SIR REMBRANDT 9 11 10 R H Alner; KEEN LEADER 9 11 9 Jonjo O'Neill; LE COUDRAY 11 11 9 C Roche; KAMILLO 7 11 9 F Cottin; FIRST GOLD 12 11 8 F Doumen; SEEBALD 10 11 8 M C Pipe; ROYAL AUCLAIR 8 11 7 P F Nicholls; RINCE RI 12 11 7 T M Walsh; ONE KNIGHT 9 11 6 P J Hobbs; OLLIE MAGERN 7 11 5 N A Twiston-Davies; CELESTIAL GOLD 7 11 5 M C Pipe; FLAGSHIP UBERALLES 11 11 5 P J Hobbs; ALEXANDER BANQUET 12 11 4 W P Mullins; VALLEY HENRY 10 11 4 Howard Johnson; MONTY'S PASS 12 11 3 James Joseph Mangan; FONDMORT 9 11 3 N J Henderson; TAKE THE STAND 9 11 2 P Bowen; BATMAN SENORA 9 11 2 I Williams.

BALLYCASSIDY 9 11 2 P Bowen; BALLYBOUGH RASHER 10 11 1 Howard Johnson; RISK ACCESSOR 10 11 1 C Roche; TRUCKERS TAVERN 10 11 1 Ferdy Murphy; PUNTAL 9 11 0 M C Pipe; JURANCON II 8 11 0 M C Pipe; NATIVE UPMANSHIP 12 11 0 A L T Moore; BINDAREE 11 11 0 N A Twiston-Davies; AMBERLEIGH HOUSE 13 11 0 D McCain; VENN OTTERY 10 10 13 M C Pipe; KNIFE EDGE 10 10 13 Jonjo O'Neill; SHOTGUN WILLY 11 10 13 P F Nicholls; COLONEL FRANK 8 10 12 B G Powell; HEDGEHUNTER 9 10 12 W P Mullins; FOLY PLEASANT 11 10 11 Nick Shutts; ASTONVILLE 11 10 10 M Scudamore; SILVER BIRCH 8 10 9 P F Nicholls; AD HOC 11 10 9 P F Nicholls; TIMBERA 11 10 8 D T Hughes; HEROS COLLONGES 10 10 8 P F Nicholls; GLENELLY GALE 11 10 8 A L T Moore; NATIVE JACK 11 10 8 A L T Moore; IT TAKES TIME 11 10 8 M C Pipe; CLAN ROYAL 10 10 8 Jonjo O'Neill; NIL DESPERANDUM 8 10 8 Ms F M Crowley; BARON WINDRUSH 7 10 7 N A Twiston-Davies; LORD NOELIE 12 10 7 Ms Bridget Nicholls; JOLY BEY 8 10 7 N J Gifford; JAKARI 8 10 7 H D Daly.

FRENCHMAN'S CREEK 11 10 6 H Morrison; IZNOGOUD 9 10 6 M C Pipe; LORD OF ILLUSION 8 10 6 T R George; GUNTHER McBRIDE 10 10 5 P J Hobbs; POLAR RED 8 10 5 M C Pipe; DOUBLE HONOUR 7 10 5 P J Hobbs; MACS GILDORAN 11 10 5 W P Mullins; FOREST GUNNER 11 10 4 R Ford; COLNEL RAYBURN 9 10 4 Paul Nolan; JUST IN DEBT 9 10 4 M Todhunter; SPOT THEDIFFERENCE 12 10 4 Enda Bolger; GROUND BALL 8 10 4 C F Swan; SHAMAWAN 10 10 3 Jonjo O'Neill; LORD ATTERBURY 9 10 3 Mrs O C Jackson; TURNIUM 10 10 3 M Scudamore; INNOX 9 10 3 F Doumen; HERMES III 10 10 3 M W Easterby; MONDIAL JACK 6 10 3 M C Pipe; EUROPA 9 10 3 Ferdy Murphy; MERCHANTS FRIEND 10 10 3 C J Mann; ARCTIC COPPER 11 10 3 N Meade; HUNTERS TWEED 9 10 3 P Beaumont; SIMPLY GIFTED 10 10 3 Jonjo O'Neill.

STRONG RESOLVE 9 10 3 Lucinda V Russell; L'AVENTURE 6 10 2 P F Nicholls; SOLARIUS 8 10 2 M Scudamore; MARCUS DU BERLAIS 8 10 2 A L T Moore; NATIVE EMPEROR 9 10 2 Jonjo O'Neill; A PIECE OF CAKE 12 10 2 J S Goldie; SUPREME GLORY 12 10 1 P G Murphy; LONGSHANKS 8 10 1 K C Bailey; SMARTY 12 10 1 M Pitman; LORD OF THE TURF 12 10 1 John Bleahen; WILD TEMPO 10 10 1 M Scudamore; PRESENT BLEU 10 10 1 MScudamore; GARVIVONNIAN 10 10 1 P Mitchell; SCOTS GREY 10 10 1 N J Henderson; RED STRIKER 11 10 0 R C Guest; GUNNER WELBURN 13 10 0 A M Balding; DAVIDS LAD 11 10 0 A J Martin; HISTORIC 9 10 0 T R George; NEARLY A MOOSE 9 10 0 Patrick Mullins; SWANSEA BAY 9 10 0 P Bowen; BATHWICK ANNIE 9 10 0 D P Keane.

ARTIC JACK 9 9 13 Mrs S J Smith; FREETOWN 9 9 13 L. Lungo; WINNING DREAM 11 9 13 Oliver McKiernan; CASSIA HEIGHTS 10 9 13 S A Brookshaw; RAND 11 9 12 E N Meade; BE MY ROYAL 11 9 12 T R George; RYALUX 12 9 12 A Crook; DESAILLY 11 9 12 J A Geake; KELAMI 7 9 12 F Doumen; KYMANDJEN 8 9 11 Paul Nolan; OVER THE FIRST 10 9 11 C F Swan; JUVEIGNEUR 8 9 10 N J Henderson; AKARUS 10 9 9 M C Pipe.

GRANIT D'ESTRUVAL 11 9 9 Ferdy Murphy; ROYAL ATALZA 8 9 9 G A Huffer; DROMBEAG 7 9 8 Jonjo O'Neill; WHEREAREYOUNOW 8 9 8 N A Twiston-Davies; WORLD WIDE WEB 9 9 8 Jonjo O'Neill; HEART MIDOLTIAN 8 9 8 M C Pipe; BE MY BETTER HALF 10 9 8 A L T Moore; MULTEEN RIVER 9 9 8 Jonjo O'Neill; YOU'RE SPECIAL 8 9 7 P C Haslam; NATIVE SESSIONS 10 9 7 N Meade; KNOCK KNOCK 8 9 7 D Wachman; ITSONLYME 12 9 7 Venetia Williams; NEVER COMPROMISE 10 9 7 T M Walsh; THIS IS SERIOUS 11 9 7 C F Swan; HAUT DE GAMME 10 9 7 Ferdy Murphy; MONTREAL 8 9 7 M C Pipe; FASHIONS MONTY 9 9 7 P Monteith.

JACK HIGH 10 9 6 T M Walsh; LATITUDE 6 9 6 M C Pipe; SPRING MARGOT 9 9 6 P F Nicholls; BOUNCE BACK 9 9 5 M C Pipe; HALEXY 10 9 4 Jonjo O'Neill; ARDENT SCOUT 13 9 4 Mrs S J Smith; MINI SENSATION 12 9 3 Jonjo O'Neill; LINCAM 9 9 2 C F Swan; BRIGHT APPROACH 12 9 2 J G Cann; HEROIC 9 9 1 C F Swan; SNOWY FORD 8 9 1 P R Chamings; HERSOV 9 9 0 Paul A Roche.

JUST IN TIME 10 8 13 Mrs L B Normile; SHERKIN ISLAND 7 8 13 Jonjo O'Neill; CRUISE THE FAIRWAY 9 8 13 B G Powell; BE MY MANAGER 10 8 13 M Todhunter; DARK ROOM 8 8 12 Jonjo O'Neill; TIPSY MOUSE 9 8 11 Mrs S J Smith; MAJED 9 8 11 Mrs L B Normile.

SPINOFSKI 10 8 11 P R Webber; SOLAR SYSTEM 8 8 11 T J Taaffe; HISTORG 10 8 10 Ferdy Murphy; LANMIRE GLEN 8 8 10 F Flood; KING ON THE RUN 12 8 9 Venetia Williams; BOY'S HURRAH 9 8 9 Howard Johnson; FARINEL 9 8 8 Jonjo O'Neill; INDIAN CHANCE 11 8 6 Dr J R J Naylor; ONLY ONCE 10 8 6 Howard Johnson; PAXFORD JACK 9 8 6 M F Harris; TOULOUSE-LAUTREC 9 8 5 T R George.

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