Nicholls relies on his Earthmover

Lydia Hislop13 April 2012

See More Business was today made an offer difficult to refuse for this year's Martell Grand National. But decline it is exactly what trainer Paul Nicholls is planning to do, avoiding a head-on clash with likely controversy.

His 1999 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero and dual King George VI Chase winner topped the weights, published today, among the 126 qualified entries for Aintree's marathon chase on 7 April. The 11-year-old gelding is set to carry 12 stone.

But if lining up in the 4m4f race - the longest in the UK's racing calendar - he would be meeting the majority of his rivals on between 6lb and 8lb better terms than in an ordinary handicap, judged on the latest published British Horseracing Board ratings.

Senior jumps handicapper Phil Smith is reluctant to allot more than 12st to a National top-weight.

Instead, he has used his discretion to ensure 39 horses have been handed weights on or above the minimum 10 stone. If he had adhered strictly to the ratings, only about a dozen horses would have been in the handicap proper.

While granting See More Business an outstanding chance, it obviously compromises his opponents' fortunes. Strong criticism of Smith's calculations from trainers with less favourably treated runners is inevitable.

"It seems the handicapper is keen for See More Business to run," said Nicholls. "But he is still an unlikely starter. I entered him in it after he was fifth in the King George last December, in case something went wrong for the Gold Cup. But Cheltenham is our top priority.

"He won the Martell Cup at Aintree last year and that would be his more likely target if running there this year. He's as good as ever, so it's logical to go for championship races rather than a handicap. But it may enter our calculations in 12 months' time."

The Ditcheat handler holds four National entries and earmarked Earthmover as his main hope, ahead of stablemates Fadalko and Torduff Express who have been allotted 11st 6lb and 8st 13lb respectively. Nicholls described Earth-mover's weight of 10st 7lb as simply "ideal", but warned he would not run if the ground were to be soft.

"Earthmover is my National horse and I'm delighted with his weight - it's ideal," he said. "We have purposefully left him alone since he ran at Haydock in December to get him spot on for April.

"I know he fell at the fourth in last year's National, but plenty have done something similar and run well or even won the following year.

"He's been knocked a fair bit for his jumping, but he has run well over both hurdles and fences this season. He'll have one more run before Aintree - either the Midlands Grand National or the William Hill National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. But if the ground is soft at Aintree, I'll wait for the Scottish Grand National instead."

Alexander Banquet has paid the price for his excellent second to Florida Pearl in last Sunday's Irish Hennessy Gold Cup, having been allotted 11st 9lb. At just 4lb below his more celebrated stablemate, that is comparative to a 15lb hike in the ratings.

But both horses are unlikely runners, with the Gold Cup also their main aim.

Last year's Aintree hero, Papillon, is set to carry 10st 10lb - 2lb more than in 2000 - but is more likely to carry only few pounds below top-weight come the day itself.

Of those horses rated above him for the event, only Young Kenny on 10st 12lb - burdened with 12st when falling at the tenth last year - has the National as his specific Spring target.

As a result of the publication of the weights, the Tote have pushed out ante-post favourite Noble Lord, who was allotted 9st 10lb, from 12-1 to join last year's runner-up Mely Moss (9st 10lb), Papillon and Young Kenny on 16-1. Beau (11st 1lb) is now 20-1 from 16-1, while See More Business trades at 28-1.

"It's grossly unfair that See More Business has got special treatment, " said Tote spokesman, Tim Pickering. "Everyone wants to see as many horses as possible on 10st or more, but it's supposed to be a handicap.

"If See More Business were to run and win by half a length, the runner-up's trainer would have every right to be very angry."

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