Plenty of political intrigue but pipe has the right package to command your vote in the big race

THIS year's General Election is a two-horse race. The same, however, cannot be said of the Grand National where most of the 40 runners have credible chances.

State of Play was a recent TV political drama involving a Labour MP. If the horse, placed last year, is successful, could this be an indication of a Labour victory on May 6?

Could King Johns Castle be a pointer to the Hull house of John

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Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister and outgoing MP?

The Labour Party symbol is the rose, for which Rosa is the Latin name. Could a win from Royal Rosa, a last-minute inclusion, mean Gordon Brown retains power?

A win for Whinstone Boy, who shares the name of the great wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, could indicate a win for the Conservatives. So, too, would a triumph for My Will – David Cameron's middle name is William.

If the election results in a hung Parliament, the parties may need to form a Dream Alliance – the Welsh National winner owned by a syndicate of former miners.

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This has not happened since 1974, the year Red Rum won the National for a second successive year. Is this also an omen for Mon Mome, last year's hero?

There are election parallels to the National – Party Politics won in 1992 just days before John Major was returned to power.

Given how character is a campaign theme, this is a pointer for the Malton-trained Character Building as Nina Carberry seeks to become the first female winner. As Carberry showed at Cheltenham, she is seldom fazed. The same was said about Margaret Thatcher.

Wide-eyed conspirators of fate should also take note. Character Building was only purchased last week by David and Patricia Thompson, who also bought Party Politics three days before his triumph.

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However, the 10-year-old's recent run at Cheltenham was disappointing and in a year when politicians have to put all their policies to the test, I take The Package to beat Character Building, with Mon Mome and Cloudy Lane contesting the minor places.

No seven-year-old has won since Bogskar in 1940 – but history is there to be beaten. No French-bred horse had won for decades until Mon Mome set the record straight last year.

The Package, trained with this race in mind, was only beaten by a fast diminishing head in the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham (Character Building's prep race). And he will benefit from the services of Graham Lee – the master of hold-up tactics.

Lee, stable jockey to Ferdy Murphy, won the National in 2004 on Amberleigh House when he came from behind to land a fourth National for Red Rum's connections.

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Gordon Brown will hope to do likewise on May 6. But, when it comes to horsemanship, Lee, is the complete package – with no questions left unanswered. If only the same could be said of our politicians.

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