Minella Times will be back to defend his Randox Grand National title, most likely under Rachael Blackmore as Henry De Bromhead's charge was named among the top 40 for the Aintree big one at the acceptance stage.

78 horses were rubber stamped in total but only 40 can make the final cut for the marathon race on April 9.

Featured within that top 40 include such talent as Ted Walsh's current favourite Any Second Now, Cheltenham cross-country winner Delta Work for Gordon Elliott, Ciaran Murphy's fancied Enjoy D'allen and Charlie Longsdon's popular mare Snow Leopardess.

Already a winner over the Grand National fences, Snow Leopardess scraped a guaranteed run by the skin of her teeth, rated at number 38 out of 40.
Snow Leopardess is a working mum, having produced a foal in a two year hiatus from the track.
Longsdon said: "It's great she's in. Now it's up to us to get ourselves organised and get her there, so fingers crossed.
"She's very well, she worked this morning. She'll go and jump the National fences in Lambourn at the end of the week and do a bit of work down there and we'll probably just do bits and bobs until the race.
"We'd love some rain. It doesn't have to be too slow, it just helps - a little bit of rain would do no harm at all."

Some big names were scratched including Conflated, Galvin and Melon leaving 78 pursuing those 40 starting places for the big race, all aiming to avoid pitfall or injury which could let in a rival.

It's not Henry de Bromhead's reigning National champion Minella Times heading the weights but his stablemate Chris's Dream however.
That all important number 40 slot is taken by Harry Fry's Phoenix Way, one of six entries for patron JP McManus.