Horseracing betting: Grand National latest

The joint favourite for this year's Grand National Mr Pointment will have to do something that has not been done since the glory days of Red Rum if he is to take to the winner's circle this year at Aintree.

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Mr Pointment will need to emulate Red Rum after the handicapper lumped the horse with a huge 11st 8lb and in the last 50 years of the famous race only the triple Grand National winner has managed to carry more than 11st 5lb to victory.

"Mr Pointment will have to carry a minimum of 11st 8lb and that may be a bridge too far as only Red Rum has carried that sort of weight to victory in the last 50 years," Totesport spokesman Damian Walker said. 

"We would have lengthened Mr Pointment's odds from 12/1 but for significant ante-post liabilities on the horse and we believe his weight will be a major obstacle to trainer Paul Nicholls breaking his Grand National duck.

"Last season the first five home in the race all carried 10st 8lb or less and, although Hedgehunter won the race in 2005 with 11st 1lb, he had the class to finish second in the following year's totesport Gold Cup."
Willie Mullins looks to have another great chance of landing first prize with Snowy Morning who has a handy weight of 10st 12lb and has been cut in the beting to 12/1 from 14/1. Totesport make it 5/6 that the winner of the race will carry 11 stone or more and 5/6 that the victor carries less than 11 stone.

Betfair make Snowy Morning 13/1 second favourite behing Mr Pointment while Coral go with Snowy Morning as favourite.

"Although there are few surprises when the National weights are revealed now, we reckon Mr Pointment has been done no favours by the handicapper, and as a result Paul Nicholls' charge has lost his position at the head of the betting," said Coral's David Stevens.

"By contrast, Snowy Morning looks fairly treated, and off 10st 12lb could play a major part in the big race."

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