GRAND National weights, here we go again. Top-weight Bristol De Mai has had his rating reduced by 5lbs, from an official rating of 173 to a Grand National rating of 168. That’s in order to encourage him to run, in order to try to get the high-class horses to run in the race.

But that is an anomaly that just doesn’t rest easily. Never has. It is a handicap, so surely horses should run off their handicap ratings. You don’t have one golf handicap for the Christmas turkey and a different golf handicap for the Captain’s Prize.