Racing:A total of 81 entries remain in the £700,000 John Smith's Grand National, to be run at Aintree on Saturday, April 14th, after today's second forfeit stage including all the leading contenders.
Irish-trained entries, aiming for a fourth win in the last five years, again dominate the ante-post betting with current favourite Dun Doire, trained by Tony Martin, one of 21 remaining horses bidding to take the prize across the Irish Sea.
Dun Doire is likely to be partnered by Paul Carberry, whose brother Philip is set to ride second favourite Point Barrow, who put himself in the frame for Aintree with an eye-catching run over hurdles at Navan on Saturday.
The formidable Irish challenge also includes both of the two latest John Smith's Grand National victors, the 2005 hero Hedgehunter and last year's Numbersixvalverde.
Hedgehunter could have his prep run for this year's National with a run over hurdles at Limerick on Sunday.
The Willie Mullins-trained 11-year-old, also second to War Of
Attrition in the Cheltenham Gold
Cup, has been sidelined with a knee problem since his fifth
place at Thurles in November.
County Carlow handler Mullins told BBC Sport: "He's now done two bits of fast work and seems to be good. I'm going to enter him in a two-mile hurdle race at Limerick on Sunday."
Hedgehunter has been allotted joint top-weight of 11st 12lb for this year's National and is a general 14-1 chance with the major firms.
There is a strong British-trained contingent among the 81 acceptors. Eurotrek, who excelled over the famous Aintree fences when taking the totesport.com Becher Chase in November, is one of six entries going forward for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.