Bookies Fear Royal Hammering

Bookmakers are running scared of Clan Royal after the Jonjo O'Neill-trained gelding was handed just 10st 8lb to carry in the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree.

Totesport cut the 11-year-old to 6-1 from 7-1 for the April 8 showpiece after the unveiling of the weights for the 2006 edition of the world's most famous jumps race.

'We were amazed that Clan Royal didn't get more weight than 10st 8lb,' said spokesman Damian Walker.

'His course form is outstanding having won the Topham and Becher Chase as well as finishing second in the 2004 Grand National before travelling really well until being carried out by a loose horse last year.

'He's a big ante-post loser for us and we reckon handicapper Phil Smith has been incredibly lenient to leave him on effectively the same mark as there seems no logic to it on the basis of last year's race.'

Poethyln, who was 11-4 when he won the National in 1919 under Ernie Piggott, was the lowest-priced horse to ever win the race.

Clan Royal's odds are unlikely to crash to that extent, but a public gamble driven forward by once-a-year punters who felt robbed by circumstances 12 months ago could see the horse go off at around the 4-1 or 5-1 mark.

In an incident etched upon the minds of many of those backers, the JP McManus-owned gelding was clear of his rivals and going strongly under Tony McCoy when taken out by a loose horse at Becher's Brook, leaving Hedgehunter to run out an impressive winner under Ruby Walsh.

But with Hedgehunter having to reoppose on 12lb worse terms than in last year's race, he will surely have it all to do if he is to repeat the heroics which saw him became the first horse for 20 years to carry more than 11st to victory, a point which his trainer Willie Mullins is happy to acknowledge.

'He won well last year so it's come as no surprise to see what he has to do this time, but it's a big task,' he said.

'He rewrote history by being the first horse for 20 years or so to win carrying more than 11st and he's got to do it again. Hopefully, we'll get to the race in one piece.'

With top-weight Monkerhostin unlikely to line up, according to trainer Philip Hobbs, Hedgehunter will almost certainly be giving weight to all bar last year's runner-up Royal Auclair, who has also been set 11st 10lb ? the same burden he carried then.

Fresh from playing the pro-am Pebble Beach Open with Mark O'Meara last week, McManus still refuses to dwell on last year's mishap for Clan Royal.

'There's bad luck and then there's trouble and that was just trouble,' he said. 'It could have happened to anyone and it is one of the things that makes jumps racing what it is.

'For me the biggest struggle is just getting them to the track safe and sound and ready to run. If we're there on the day then I will be pleased.

'I have seen that he is favourite but that doesn't matter to me as I wouldn't think I'd be backing him. Winning the race would be everything, any winnings from a bet wouldn't come into it.'

O'Neill added: 'It has not been the luckiest of tracks for Clan Royal, but he does seem to like it there.

'He's in good form at the minute and hopefully we'll get there and make it third time lucky maybe.

'I suppose the best thing about last year was the fact that he was still enjoying it as he had quite a hard race the previous year when he was third and sometimes when they go back they don't want to do it again.

'It was far too early in the race to say whether he would have won and if anything he was probably a bit too fresh.

'We were delighted with him over hurdles the other day and hopefully he will have one more race somewhere before we go to Aintree.'

? PA Sport