When the John Smith’s Grand National weights were made public in mid-February trainer Mouse Morris’s reaction was one of barely disguised disgust and he made it clear that the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was a very doubtful runner, writes Elliot Slater.

I’m sure we have all said things in the heat of the moment that we regret later, and it does appear that Morris is beginning to have second thoughts on the matter. The fact that the majority of firms have re-introduced the in-form veteran into their 2010 Grand National Prices lists at around 20/1, suggests that the vibes emanating from County Tipperary are growing more positive by the day.

It would be great for the Grand National itself if the former Gold Cup winner were to take his chance. Having been counted out as a light of former days, the 11-year-old has come back to form with a vengeance this term since being switched to hurdles, winning two Grade 2 events in recent starts and showing tremendous zest for a fight. A crack at the Ladbrokes World Hurdle could well be a warm-up for a tilt at the Aintree marathon, where even with 11st 1lbs, the gelding could be very competitive if he stays (despite his trainer’s protestations).

In 32 starts under rules War Of Attrition has never fallen, and as well as the Gold Cup, has won six other graded races, including the Grade 1 Swordlestown Novices Chase and the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup. His career prize money already exceeds a superb £700,000.

Having spent much of the season running over timber to rekindle his enthusiasm, the unique challenge of the Grand National weather fences could easily spark a similarly successful reaction from a horse who has proven time and again that he really is a star performer.

Despite the much voiced frustration of Mouse Morris when the weights for the 2010 Grand National were declared on Feb 16th, the prolific trainer has not yet removed his only entry, War of Attrition, from the big race.

The deadline for the first official scratchings for the race was on march 2nd and it transpired that War of Attrition was not withdrawn which came as a surprise to many including the bookmakers who had previously removed him from their ante-post odds offerings.

With War still in contention it left 98 still in the running as 13 were withdrawn including Irish Invader, Beroni, One Cool Cookie, Kilcrea Castle, Darkness, Siegemaster and Taranis, who was reported lame on Wednesday. There were no real shocks and very little has changed ante-post as all of the favourites are still on to run the race on Saturday April 10th.

The next date for scratchings is March 22nd at which time Morris will have had longer to consider what is best for War of Attrition and despite his allocated weight of 11-01 he may still be in with a very good chance on the day. Paddy Power currently have him at odds of 16/1 putting him as eighth favourite to win so maybe it’s worth the gamble to keep him in!

Mouse Morris is not a happy camper these days especially as his main contender for the Grand National 2010, War of Attrition, was given a particularly high weighting of 11st 1lb on Tuesday by the official handicapper.

Morris has advised that he is “more than a bit baffled and very disappointed” with the allotted weight which may even rule War of Attrition out of the great race on Saturday April 10th and has, instead, decided to focus on the Ladbrokes World Hurdle next month at Cheltenham. In fact, most bookmakers have even scratched the horse from their official Grand National listings and odds.

Mouse Morris’s frustration is understandable when you consider that War of Attrition hasn’t won a chase since November 2008 and the handicapper appears to have worked off a rating of 158 as opposed to 163 which means that he should, by rights, have been included in the lower weights, which of course would give him a better shot at winning on the day.

War of Attrition was the only entry for Mouse Morris in this year’s Grand National so it looks like it’s going to be a quiet day for him!

The day we’ve all been waiting for since the entries were announced is finally here and yes, the weights have now been declared giving us all a better picture of the potential line up for the Grand National 2010 on April 10th.

There were some surprises, not least of which is the fact that three horses tie for top weight, and even more surprising is the horses themselves – Albertas Run, Madison Du Berlais and Notre Pere are all on 11st 10lbs. I’m not suggesting that these horses don’t have what it takes to win the Grand National but let’s be fair, there are definitely horses in contention who are more likely to give a better run on the day so handicapping these three at the highest level seems a little unusual…

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even consider backing a horse that weighted more than 11st 3lbs, at the absolute most, but this year that would rule out Tricky Trickster (11st 4lbs), Niche Market (11st 4lbs) and Black Apalachi (11lbs 6lbs) who are all worth serious look.

The Top 50 list of weights is available below and odds on all of the horses are available from Paddy Power Bookmakers.

1) 03-P136 ALBERTAS RUN (IRE) 9-11-10 Trevor Hemmings Jonjo O’Neill

2) 101-324 MADISON DU BERLAIS (FR) 9-11-10 Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds II David Pipe

3) 12-1F544 NOTRE PERE (FR) 9-11-10 Tilly Conway Jim Dreaper IRE

4) 12/14P/-1 TARANIS (FR) 9-11-09 Angela Yeoman Paul Nicholls

5) 4-61r01 OUR VIC (IRE) 12-11-08 David Johnson David Pipe

6) 001-P34 MON MOME (FR) 10-11-07 Vida Bingham Venetia Williams

7) P151U-0 BLACK APALACHI (IRE) 11-11-06 Gerard Burke Dessie Hughes IRE

8 ) 15-5003 JOE LIVELY (IRE) 11-11-06 Richard Dimond Colin Tizzard

9) 0-21150 VIC VENTURI (IRE) 10-11-06 James Dunne Dessie Hughes IRE

10) 1/P002-0 COMPLY OR DIE (IRE) 11-11-05 David Johnson David Pipe

11) 201-423 DON’T PUSH IT (IRE) 10-11-05 J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill

12) 231110- IRISH INVADER (IRE) 9-11-05 Sackcloth & Ashes Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

13) 43-3U240 MADE IN TAIPAN (IRE) 8-11-04 Frances Duffin/Sean Corby Tom Mullins IRE

14) 401-0352 NICHE MARKET (IRE) 9-11-04 Graham Regan Bob Buckler

15) 22121-21 TRICKY TRICKSTER (IRE) 7-11-04 Chris Giles Paul Nicholls

16) P15P-14 CASEY JONES (IRE) 9-11-03 Gillian Burke Noel Meade IRE

17) 31FU-36 CLOUDY LANE 10-11-03 Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain Jnr

18) PUPP/-21 DREAM ALLIANCE 9-11-03 The Alliance Partnership Philip Hobbs

19) 1P00-60 NOZIC (FR) 9-11-03 Sam Mcvie Paul Nicholls

20) 3201-11 POSSOL (FR) 7-11-03 Neville Statham Henry Daly

21) F3-13233 SIEGEMASTER (IRE) 9-11-03 Gigginstown House Stud Dessie Hughes IRE

22) 553-205 MY WILL (FR) 10-11-02 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls

23) 3606-4F PABLO DU CHARMIL (FR) 9-11-02 Joe Moran David Pipe

24) r-04205 ONE COOL COOKIE (IRE) 9-11-01 Gigginstown House Stud Charlie Swan IRE

25) P230411 WAR OF ATTRITION (IRE) 11-11-01 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE

26) 0112313 BACKSTAGE (FR) 8-11-00 MPR & Capranny Syndicate Gordon Elliott IRE

27) P6-5111 BALLYHOLLAND (IRE) 9-11-00 Cathal McGovern Colin McBratney IRE

28) FP-1P1P BEAT THE BOYS (IRE) 9-11-00 New Club Ladies Nigel Twiston-Davies

29) 100-000 PREISTS LEAP (IRE) 10-11-00 John O’Donohue/Tom O’Leary Tom O’Leary IRE

30) 212//U1-2(1)(1) ROULEZ COOL 7-11-00 Robert Waley-Cohen Robert Waley-Cohen

31) 5-31110 BERONI (IRE) 8-10-13 Margaret O’Rourke Willie Mullins IRE

32) 314F-01 CAN’T BUY TIME (IRE) 8-10-13 J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill

33) 1P1-0131 LE BEAU BAI (FR) 7-10-13 Glass Half Full Richard Lee

34) 11411P SEVEN IS MY NUMBER (IRE) 8-10-13 David Johnson David Pipe

35) 110322 SNOWY MORNING (IRE) 10-10-13 Quayside Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

36) 22506-P3 AIR FORCE ONE (GER) 8-10-12 Brian Walsh (Co. Kildare) Charlie Mann

37) 2U136-2U BIG FELLA THANKS 8-10-12 Maggie Findlay & Paul Barber Paul Nicholls

38) 3P///3P10- DARKNESS 11-10-12 Lady Lloyd-Webber Charles Egerton

39) 113-412 DEUTSCHLAND (USA) 7-10-12 Allan McLuckie Willie Mullins IRE

40) 4/2D133- LOUPING D’AINAY (FR) 11-10-12 Jean-Paul Senechal Francois Cottin FR

41) 143301-0 CHARACTER BUILDING (IRE) 10-10-11 Mrs E Wright John Quinn

42) F0-5260 CHELSEA HARBOUR (IRE) 10-10-11 Frances Duffin/Sean Corby Tom Mullins IRE

43) 02U-301 DOONEYS GATE (IRE) 9-10-11 Thomas Gilligan Willie Mullins IRE

44) P2-205P0 GONE TO LUNCH (IRE) 10-10-11 Gary Lever Jeremy Scott

45) 4116-6P KORNATI KID 8-10-11 Diana Whateley Philip Hobbs

46) 60/144-P STATE OF PLAY 10-10-11 William & Angela Rucker Evan Williams

47) 00-1210 ELLERSLIE GEORGE (IRE) 10-10-10 Guy Henderson Nick Mitchell

48) 112130- FOLLOW THE PLAN (IRE) 7-10-10 Cavan Developments Bloodstock Oliver McKiernan IRE

49) 45-1552 JAYO (FR) 7-10-10 Peter Garvey Willie Mullins IRE

50) 11U36U ROYAL COUNTY STAR (IRE) 11-10-10 Dunsany Racing Syndicate Tony Martin IRE