Grand National clues everywhere, although not where you might look first

These are strange times. There will be Grand National clues this weekend – loads of them – but you won't find many, if any, in the actual Grand National Trial at Haydock.

Of the nine runners in the William Hill-sponsored Grade 3 only Achille and Lord Du Mesnil are entered in the big one in April and they are both 50-1 with Paddy Power. Red Rum won Saturday's race in 1975, although he didn't actually win the Grand National that year.

Master Oats (1994) and Cool Ground (1992) both won it too – although the 1994 running was staged at Kempton – on their way to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory. The latter did the double in the same season.