Dancer heads National weights

Exotic Dancer (11st 10lb) heads the weights revealed today for the 2009 John Smith's Grand National.

The nine-year-old was a Grade Two winner at Aintree in 2007 and beat all bar Kauto Star in that year's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He gained a richly-deserved Grade One success in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown last time out. Trained by Jonjo O'Neill, Exotic Dancer also headed the weights for the 2007 John Smith's Grand National.

In total, 61 of the remaining 120 entries are in the handicap for jump racing's most famous prize, which is worth a record #900,000 this year. A maximum field of 40 will go to post at 4.15pm on Saturday, April 4th.

The John Smith's Grand National is the only race in which the British Horseracing Authority's Head of Handicapping Phil Smith can use his discretion in determining which weight he allots each horse. His findings were unveiled today at a lunch in London attended by a host of jump racing's biggest names.

Second in the weights is Madison Du Berlais (11st 8lb), this season's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner and conqueror of Denman at Kempton on Saturday. He represents last year's winning trainer, David Pipe.

Comply Or Die (10st 12lb), the 2008 John Smith's Grand National hero, must carry an additional 3lb if he is to become the first horse since Red Rum in 1973/1974 to win consecutive renewals while Silver Birch has 10st 6lb this year - identical to the weight he carried to victory in 2007.

Six of the last 10 renewals of the John Smith's Grand National have gone the way of Irish-trained horses, while last year the Arthur Moore-trained King Johns Castle (10st 10lb) only found Comply Or Die too good with Snowy Morning (11st), from the Willie Mullins yard, in third place.

The 35 Irish-trained entries this time around also include last season's Irish Grand National victor Hear The Echo (10st 11lb), one of the leading ante-post fancies and this season's Welsh National scorer Notre Pere (11st 4lb), from the Jim Dreaper yard. Hear The Echo is owned by Ryanair supremo Michael O'Leary and trained by Mouse Morris, and the owner/trainer combination could also be represented by 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition (11st 1llb).

Other leading ante-post fancies include the 2007 Irish Grand National victor, Butler's Cabin (10st 5lb), who was travelling well when falling at Becher's on the second circuit last year, the John Quinn-trained Character Building (9st 12lb) and Cloudy Lane (11st 2lb) from the famous McCain stable who was sixth when starting joint-favourite in 2008.

EXOTIC DANCER (FR) 9-11-10 Jonjo O'Neill

MADISON DU BERLAIS (FR) 8-11-08 David Pipe

SNOOPY LOOPY (IRE) 11-11-05 Peter Bowen

STAR DE MOHAISON (FR) 8-11-05 Paul Nicholls

NOTRE PERE (FR) 8-11-04 Jim Dreaper IRE

NOZIC (FR) 8-11-03 Paul Nicholls

AIR FORCE ONE (GER) 7-11-02 Charlie Mann

CLOUDY LANE 9-11-02 Donald McCain Jnr

AFISTFULLOFDOLLARS(IRE) 11-11-01 Noel Meade IRE

WAR OF ATTRITION(IRE) 10-11-01 Mouse Morris IRE

CHELSEA HARBOUR (IRE) 9-11-00 Tom Mullins IRE

IMPERIAL COMMANDER (IRE) 8-11-00 Nigel Twiston-Davies

SNOWY MORNING (IRE) 9-11-00 Willie Mullins IRE

CANE BRAKE (IRE) 10-10-13 Tom Taaffe IRE

KNOWHERE (IRE) 11-10-13 Nigel Twiston-Davies

ROLL ALONG (IRE) 9-10-13 Carl Llewellyn

COMPLY OR DIE (IRE) 10-10-12 David Pipe

GWANAKO (FR) 6-10-12 Paul Nicholls

MONKERHOSTIN (FR) 12-10-12 Philip Hobbs

OLLIE MAGERN 11-10-12 Nigel Twiston-Davies

STAN (NZ) 10-10-12 Venetia Williams

BLACK APALACHI (IRE) 10-10-11 Dessie Hughes IRE

HEAR THE ECHO (IRE) 8-10-11 Mouse Morris IRE

ONE COOL COOKIE (IRE) 8-10-11 Charlie Swan IRE

PREISTS LEAP (IRE) 9-10-11 Tom O'Leary IRE

BALLYFITZ 9-10-10 Nigel Twiston-Davies

KING JOHNS CASTLE (IRE) 10-10-10 Arthur Moore IRE

MIKO DE BEAUCHENE (FR) 9-10-10 Robert & Sally Alner

MY WILL (FR) 9-10-10 Paul Nicholls

EUROTREK (IRE) 13-10-09 Paul Nicholls

L'ANTARTIQUE (FR) 9-10-09 Ferdy Murphy

STATE OF PLAY 9-10-08 Evan Williams

BIG FELLA THANKS 7-10-07 Paul Nicholls

MON MOME (FR) 9-10-06 Venetia Williams

OPERA MUNDI (FR) 7-10-06 Paul Nicholls

SILVER BIRCH (IRE) 12-10-06 Gordon Elliott IRE

BUTLER'S CABIN (FR) 9-10-05 Jonjo O'Neill

HOBBS HILL 10-10-05 Charles Egerton

OFFSHORE ACCOUNT (IRE) 9-10-05 Charlie Swan IRE

PARSONS LEGACY (IRE) 11-10-04 Philip Hobbs

REVEILLEZ 10-10-04 Jonjo O'Neill

ABBEYBRANEY (IRE) 8-10-03 Howard Johnson

ENDLESS POWER (IRE) 9-10-03 Jim Goldie

FUNDAMENTALIST (IRE) 11-10-03 Nigel Twiston-Davies

GOLDEN FLIGHT (FR) 10-10-03 Nicky Henderson

L'AMI (FR) 10-10-03 Enda Bolger IRE

SIMON 10-10-03 John Spearing

BATTLECRY 8-10-02 Nigel Twiston-Davies

CORNISH SETT (IRE) 10-10-02 Paul Nicholls

FLEET STREET 10-10-02 Nicky Henderson

MUSICA BELLA (FR) 9-10-02 Francois Cottin FR

CAN'T BUY TIME (IRE) 7-10-01 Jonjo O'Neill

DARKNESS 10-10-01 Charles Egerton

IRISH INVADER (IRE) 8-10-01 Willie Mullins IRE

RAMBLING MINSTER 11-10-01 Keith Reveley

SILVERBURN (IRE) 8-10-01 Paul Nicholls

SOUTHERN VIC (IRE) 10-10-01 Ted Walsh IRE

TRABOLGAN (IRE) 11-10-01 Nicky Henderson

ALWAYS WAINING (IRE) 8-10-00 Peter Bowen

GARDE CHAMPETRE (FR) 10-10-00 Enda Bolger IRE

OEDIPE (FR) 7-10-00 Nicky Henderson

HOT WELD 10-9-13 Ferdy Murphy

KILBEGGAN BLADE 10-9-13 Tom George

BROOKLYN BROWNIE (IRE) 10-9-12 Malcolm Jefferson

CHARACTER BUILDING (IRE) 9-9-12 John Quinn

CONNA CASTLE (IRE) 10-9-12 Jimmy Mangan IRE

HIMALAYAN TRAIL 10-9-12 Jimmy Mangan IRE

PIRAYA (FR) 6-9-12 David Pipe

TUMBLING DICE (IRE) 10-9-12 Tom Taaffe IRE

ARTEEA (IRE) 10-9-11 David Pipe

CERIUM (FR) 8-9-11 Paul Murphy

IDLE TALK (IRE) 10-9-11 Donald McCain Jnr

KELAMI (FR) 11-9-11 Lisa Williamson

ZABENZ (NZ) 12-9-11 Philip Hobbs

ICE TEA (IRE) 9-9-10 Donald McCain Jnr

MALJIMAR (IRE) 9-9-10 Nick Williams

COMPANERO (IRE) 9-9-09 Howard Johnson

IRON MAN (FR) 8-9-09 Peter Bowen

MATTOCK RANGER (IRE) 9-9-09 Noel Meade IRE

NICHE MARKET (IRE) 8-9-09 Bob Buckler

POMME TIEPY (FR) 6-9-09 Willie Mullins IRE

BAGAN (FR) 10-9-08 Martin Todhunter

BEAT THE BOYS (IRE) 8-9-08 Nigel Twiston-Davies

BIBLE LORD (IRE) 8-9-08 Andrew Turnell

D'ARGENT (IRE) 12-9-08 Alan King

DIX VILLEZ (FR) 10-9-08 Paul Nolan IRE

FLINTOFF (USA) 8-9-08 Venetia Williams

PATSY HALL (IRE) 9-9-08 Tony Martin IRE

HOMER WELLS (IRE) 11-9-07 Willie Mullins IRE

N THE LOOP (IRE) 11-9-07 Roy Wilson IRE

KING HARALD (IRE) 11-9-07 Mark Bradstock

LOTHIAN FALCON 10-9-07 Peter Maddison

NADOVER (FR) 8-9-07 Charlie Mann

OULART 10-9-07 Dessie Hughes IRE

PAK JACK (FR) 9-9-07 Richard Phillips

SEYMOUR WELD 9-9-07 Charles Pogson

GALLANT APPROACH (IRE) 10-9-06 Charles Egerton

HOOPY (IRE) 7-9-06 Gordon Elliott IRE

NINE DE SIVOLA (FR) 8-9-06 Ferdy Murphy

TOM SAYERS (IRE) 11-9-06 Philip Hobbs

OODACHEE 10-9-04 Charlie Swan IRE

KINGS ADVOCATE (IRE) 9-9-03 Tom Taaffe IRE

DUN DOIRE (IRE) 10-9-02 Tony Martin IRE

LE TOSCAN (FR) 9-9-02 David Pipe

OUT THE BLACK (IRE) 11-9-02 Philip Hobbs

PUNTAL (FR) 13-9-02 David Pipe

SEA DIVA (IRE) 9-9-02 Dessie Hughes IRE

WITHOUT A DOUBT 10-9-02 Carl Llewellyn

YOU'RE SPECIAL (USA) 12-9-01 Ferdy Murphy

ALEXANDERTHEGREAT (IRE) 11-9-00 Venetia Williams

EMMA JANE (IRE) 9-9-00 Willie Mullins IRE

MILAN DEUX MILLE (FR) 7-9-00 David Pipe

BALLYTRIM (IRE) 8-8-11 Willie Mullins IRE

ROYAL ROSA (FR) 10-8-11 Howard Johnson

SANDHURST (IRE) 9-8-11 Edgar Byrne IRE

LORD KILLESHANRA (IRE) 10-8-10 Colin Tizzard

LYSANDER (GER) 10-8-10 Ian Williams

MALKO DE BEAUMONT (FR) 9-8-10 Alan Brown

PASS ME BY 10-8-08 Suzy Smith

MONT MISERE (FR) 13-8-07 Paul Murphy