LORD Windermere continues to head the weights for this year’s Crabbie’s Grand National as 74 horses go forward for the £1 million race following this week’s scratchings stage.

Trained by Jim Culloty, Lord Windermere is set to carry 11st 10lb. The nine-year-old won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2014 and could become only the third horse to win both races following Golden Miller and L’Escargot. At Aintree he will not be ridden by his regular jockey, Davy Russell, a decision made by Jim Culloty after this year’s indifferent run by Lord Windermere in the Gold Cup when partnered by Russell.

The next two horses in the weights also ran in this year’s Gold Cup, Many Clouds and Sam Winner. Many Clouds raced prominently at Cheltenham before fading into sixth. The horse’s owner Trevor Hemmings, a very keen supporter of the Grand National, won the marathon previously with Hedgehunter and Ballabriggs.

Sam Winner was pulled up in the Gold Cup this year but trainer Paul Nicholls has said he is a likely runner at Aintree.

Willie Mullins’ only runner is 50/1 outsider Ballycasey as he tries for his second Grand National win after Hedgehunter in 2005: “I think the spring ground will be better for him and his breeding suggests he will stay the trip,’’ Mullins told the BBC.

A maximum of 40 runners can line up for the 168th running of the Aintree marathon at 4.15pm on Saturday, April 11th.

TOPHAM ENTRIES

Ireland has 17 possible runners for the Topham with Willie Mullins’ two entries being Turban (33/1, Betfred) and Ballycasey (20/1), also a Grand National entry. Tony Martin has entered Savello (14/1), sixth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Maggio (33/1), trained in Co Dublin by Paddy Griffin, holds entries in both the Topham Chase and the Grand National. Maggio has recently been bought by Douglas Pryde and Jim Beaumont, owners of 2013 Grand National hero Auroras Encore and big supporters of the Grand National.

Enda Bolger’s On The Fringe is the likely punters’ pick in the Fox Hunters’ after an impressive 17-length demolition under Nina Carberry in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham last March.

The two latest winners of the Fox Hunters’ both hold entries again - 2013 scorer Tartan Snow (Annabel Brook) and Warne (Brian Hamilton).