Tony Martin has turned to his old big-race ally Mick Fitzgerald to ride Dun Doire, the hot favourite for Monday's Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.
A maximum field of 30 has been declared for the €250,000 Easter highlight but yesterday's final stage resulted in a massive 19lb rise in the weights due to the defection of both Forget The Past and Innox.
That leaves the novice Our Ben as top weight with the Cheltenham winner Dun Doire set to carry 11st 6lb in his bid to stretch his remarkable winning streak to seven in a row.
Paddy Power immediately installed the Martin-trained horse as their 7 to 2 favourite.
Our Ben's inclusion means that Ruby Walsh is claimed to ride the top weight and Paul Carberry, who rode Dun Doire to win January's Thyestes, has had to cry off the first two days of the Fairyhouse Festival with an injured ankle.
"Fitzy" and Martin combined on the big stage three years ago when Xenophon completed a rare Pierse Hurdle-Coral Cup double.
Niall "Slippers" Madden will be on board No Half Session as he attempts to add to last Saturday's Aintree Grand National victory on Numbersixvalverde while the British champion jockey Tony McCoy will ride JP McManus's sole hope, Far From Trouble.
IRISH GRAND NATIONAL BETTING
Paddy Power: 7-2 Dun Doire, 10-1 Far From Trouble, 12-1 GVA Ireland and Monterey Bay, 14-1 Banasan, No Half Session and Our Ben, 16-1 Point Barrow, 20-1 bar.
