Bristol De Mai unveiled as topweight for the Grand National

There was never much doubt about which horse would top the weights for the 2019 Randox Health Grand National, and the long odds-on favourite duly obliged with dual Betfair Chase winner Bristol De Mai on Tuesday unveiled at the head of the handicap.

Should the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained chaser contest the sport's most famous and valuable prize he will shoulder 11st 10lb, with his weight equivalent to a rating of 168, compressed by 5lb from his normal BHA mark.

Last season's Aintree fourth Anibale Fly is next in the list on 11st 6lb (164), followed by Alpha Des Obeaux and Welsh Grand National hero Elegant Escape on 11st 4lb (162).

Alpha Des Obeaux is one 22 entries trained by Gordon Elliott, whose highest-profile candidate is last year's winner Tiger Roll, this season set to compete off 11st 1lb (159), which puts him 9lb higher than when he edged out Pleasant Company (up 7lb to 10st 11lb) in a thrilling finish to the 2018 spectacular.

Following the retirement of Phil Smith the weights have been framed for the first time by Martin Greenwood, who said: "It was fairly straightforward to do the weights. I tried to treat it like any other race while bearing in mind there has to be some digression when needed.

"Bristol De Mai heads the weights and his rating has been compressed by 5lb as I thought it was better to have a horse at the top of the handicap whose rating was slightly out of kilter. If Bristol De Mai does run then I think it was the right call to make.

"I found Auvergnat (10st 8lb) of Enda Bolger's hard to weigh up. He has a lot of cross-country form and he was the hardest one I had to deal with. He has been running primarily in cross-country races and they are events which are having an increasing impact on the Grand National, highlighted by Tiger Roll's success last year.

"His form ties in with Josies Orders and Tiger Roll. He would almost have three different ratings, one in the mid-140s for regulation fences, a high 150s for the cross-country fences and I have put him somewhere in the middle of that (152) to tie in with Josies Orders."

Elegant Escape is an interesting Grand National candidate according to the handicapperCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Greenwood added: "I think there are several interesting horses like Vintage Clouds and Elegant Escape, who is towards the top of the betting. He is an improving horse and was a good second to Frodon at Cheltenham last time, so you can see why he is one of the more fancied horses.

"I think it would be a knee-jerk reaction to make too much of the small amount of horses who are weighted 11st or higher. I wouldn't want to get too clever about what the reason is.

"At the entry stage, you needed to be around the mid-70s to get you into the race. I think anything based in the top 80 has a chance of getting in.

"Four of the last five years, horses approaching that number have got in so some connections shouldn't give up because they are rated towards the bottom."

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