WE are used to seeing Gordon Elliott with mass entries in big handicap chases in this country but now the Meath trainer is set to bring a cavalry to Aintree in his bid to win a third Randox Health Grand National.

The weights for the race were revealed at a launch event in Liverpool on Tuesday, and Elliott was easily the best represented trainer, with his 22 entries twice as many as the next highest, Willie Mullins, who has 10 entered.

Of Elliott’s total entry, 10 horses are already guaranteed a run with two more, nearing the number 40 point on the joint bottom rating, are virtually guaranteed a run off a mark of 150.

Speaking at the launch, Elliott said: “There are three or four horses I will probably take out of the race but I want to run as many as I can get in. Obviously, it’s the most famous race in the world and we’d love to win it again. If I can get 15 into it, I’ll run them.”

Betway rate last year’s winner Tiger Roll the best of Elliott’s entry at 20/1 joint favourite, with Irish Grand National winner General Principle and recent Punchestown scorer Dounikos also prominent.

Any rating above 142 would have guaranteed you a run in the race last season. Elliott has 16 horses above that line, while Mullins has all but one of his 10 entries inside the threshold.

Pleasant Company, so close when attempting to run down Tiger Roll last season, is set to return to Aintree off a 7lb higher mark (155).

Bristol De Mai heads the weights off a mark of 168 and is set to go for the Cheltenham Gold Cup before connections make their mind up on his participation. Colin Tizzard’s Elegant Escape (162) will also go to the Gold Cup first.

The highest rated Irish horse in the race is Tony Martin’s Anibale Fly (164), who finished fourth in the race last season. Bless The Wings (143), who finished third, looks to have a very good chance of running in the race again at the age of 14.

Pat Kelly’s Mall Dini (148) is 46 on the list and so is very likely to get into the starting line up. Abolitionist, formerly trained by Ellmarie Holden, and now with Dr Richard Newland, has a rating of 145, but will have to run in a chase in order to settle the qualifying criteria.

Connections of leading contender Vintage Clouds, Sue Smith and owner Trevor Hemmings, both successful in the race before, will have a slightly anxious weight with the nine-year-old rated 144.

Other Irish entries guaranteed a run are Joseph O’Brien’s Edwulf (159), Jessica Harrington’s Magic Of Light (151) and Enda Bolger’s Paddy Power Chase winner Auvergnat (152).

However, on Thursday, Enda Bolger revealed that Auvergnat will be be taken out at the next forfeit stage as he is unhappy with the horse’s weight. He said: “We want to let ante-post punters know that Auvergnat will be taken out of the Grand National at the next available stage. I find it puzzling how wrongly handicapped he is compared to the other Irish horses.”

Speaking on Tuesday, British senior chasing handicapper Martin Greenwood, who took over the framing of the weights from the reitred Phil Smith, said Auvergnat was the hardest horse to assess.

He said: “He has run mainly in Cross Country races and won races in that sphere over Josies Orders at Punchestown last year.

“I had a big decision to make on his rating as he is rated 158 in Cross Country races, 145 as a regulation chaser and I put him somewhere in the middle at 152. The Cross Country races are becoming more and more significant with a bigger input to the Grand National.

Greenwood added: “The amount of horses weighted 11st or higher is down on previous years, but on the positive side, we have a lot more horses who are rated 150-plus.”