Walsh is happy with weight for Papillon

Last year's winner Papillon is as low as 10 to 1 for this year's Martell Grand National after the weights were announced yesterday.

Ted Walsh's charge was allotted 10st 10lb, 2lb less than the burden he carried to success last year, as he bids to become the first horse since Red Rum in the 1970s to win consecutive runnings of the Aintree marathon.

The Irishman declared himself happy with the weight given by handicapper Phil Smith for whom he had a degree of sympathy in allocating weights.

"The National is Papillon's main target," said Walsh, whose son Ruby rode the gelding to a one-and-a-half-length success over Mely Moss in last year's race.

"I'm happy with 10st 10lb but I would have been happier with 10st 4lb. We are very happy to have won the National once with him - a second would be a bonus.

"The handicapper will have taken the National factor into account. Commanche Court is rated 153 over here and Papillon 148 so by the sound of it he seems to have done a good job. It's not an easy task, I wouldn't have fancied doing it!"

Walsh admitted that his other entry Commanche Court is unlikely to run.

"He's a super lepper but he's only eight and he's more likely to go to Cheltenham."

Ladbrokes representative Mike Dillon, commenting on the odds of Papillon, said: "We've put him in short as he was such a good winner last year."

Top weight for the race - expected to be watched by a TV audience of over 600 million - is See More Business, who has been allocated 12st by Smith.

However, the weights allotted to his rivals mean that he would be set to meet most of them on terms between 6-8lb better than in an ordinary handicap.

His trainer Paul Nicholls found the handicapper's move "interesting".

"The situation is that he is unlikely to run as Cheltenham is first and foremost and we haven't thought any further ahead than that," said Nicholls.

"But he has got an entry so it is a possibility and I wouldn't rule it out completely. The handicapper has been very, very fair - he is tempting us to run."

Smith admitted that he had wanted to set a puzzle for both trainers and punters alike when he allocated the weights.

"In a sense I have set the weights for the possibility of four separate races depending upon which horses run."

Should See More Business not take part then top-weight is likely to be carried by Alexander Banquet (11st 9lb), runner up to stablemate Florida Pearl (11st 13lb) in Sunday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: "I was delighted with him on Sunday. He will definitely run in the Gold Cup and if he comes out of that well then it will be on to Aintree."

One horse who may well not run - despite trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies having paid the entry fee himself - is Beau, who was allocated 11st 1lb.

Quoted at 20 to 1 with the Tote, Beau is owned by Mrs Sylvia Tainton who is against putting her charge through the gruelling race according to the trainer.

"We have a huge problem with Beau as the owner has said he won't run," said Twiston-Davies. "I paid the entry fee but have to convince her to let him take part. I desperately want to run him."

With 14 of the 133 entries, Martin Pipe has the largest team for a single trainer and the master of Nicholashayne highlighted Northern Starlight and Take Control as his most likely runners.