Doncaster offers Mann National clue

But the plane's horse racing namesake hopes Doncaster's sportingbet.com Grimthorpe Chase on Saturday will be the launchpad for a tilt at the John Smith's Grand National.

The eight-year-old returned from a long lay-off to finish third in the Aon Chase at Newbury last month and trainer Charlie Mann is delighted with his current condition.

"He's in good shape and runs in the Grimthorpe at Doncaster on Saturday providing the ground comes right," said Mann last night.

"After that he'll either go for the Irish or English Grand National. We're hopeful he'll run well on Saturday."

In other Aintree news, all the big guns have stood their ground with just 13 horses being withdrawn at the latest forfeit stage.

There has been no rise in the weights for the Aintree spectacular as the trio who head the handicap on 11st 10lb – Albertas Run, Madison Du Berlais and Notre Pere – are all among the acceptors.

Mouse Morris was unhappy with the initial weight allotted to War Of Attrition (11st 1lb) – the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner – but has left his charge in the contest.

"He's heading for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham and we'll just take it day by day with him," said Morris, the leading Irish trainer who went to school at Ampleforth College.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has five horses remaining in one of the few big races still to elude him, including the ante-post favourite Tricky Trickster.

And last year's surprise fifth Cerium – trained by Paul Murphy at Middleham – has moved up to 67th in the handicap, with only the top 40 guaranteed a run.

It will be touch and go whether the horse, due to reappear in this month's Gold Cup, makes the cut as the quality of the line-up improves each year.

It's the same at Cheltenham, with British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper Phil Smith saying that the improved quality of horses is making it increasingly difficult for connections to get a run in the Cheltenham Festival handicaps.

Smith unveiled the weights for this year's 11 Festival handicaps yesterday and highlighted the increasing strength in depth of the races – a point underscored by the 177 entries for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

With a 24-runner safety limit, the ante-post favourite Qaspal needs 97 runners before he can line up.

The Philip Hobbs-trained horse is likely to be ridden by rising star Rhys Flint who has enjoyed a fruitful assocation with Richmond trainer Alan Swinbank as he rides out his claim – the teenager needs just five more wins before he rides on equal terms with the senior pros.

Hobbs said Qaspal, who won recently at Kempton under an assured-looking Flint ride, may boost his chance of making the cut in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday week.

Should he be successful, he would rocket up the weights courtesy of a 5lb penalty and would then be virtually guaranteed a place at Cheltenham – and help lift-off his young, talented rider's career.