By Simon Jackson

Ground conditions for the Crabbie’s Grand National are still uncertain as 65 horses remain in contention for the world’s greatest steeplechase at the latest declaration stage on Monday.

The potential runners will be reduced to a maximum field of 40 ahead of the feature race on Saturday, which for the first time offers prize money of £1million, and where the going is currently good to soft, good in places on the Grand National course.

Andrew Tulloch, regional read of racing, north west and Aintree’s clerk of the course said on Monday: “The ground is lovely at the moment but we’re keeping an eye on the weather.

“We’ve had a dry couple of days which has seen a slight change to the going on the Mildmay and Hurdle courses which are now good, good to soft in places while the Grand National course is now good to soft, good in places.

“I had a walk round again this morning and there is a lovely cover of grass and the course is in great shape.

“However, there has been talk of some showers this evening so we will monitor that closely and issue any updates on Tuesday.

“The forecast for the next few days is unsettled and a band of showers is meant to be arriving on Tuesday afternoon though the exact timing of the rain is uncertain.”

Yet the uncertainty over the weather appears to be of little concern for supporters of Teaforthree who finished third in this race last year and heads the betting at 8-1 for the four miles and three and a half furlong contest.

“It’s all about Teaforthree at the moment and, although the majority of punters have yet to play their hand, it’s looking likely that he will go off favourite for this year’s race,” said Betfred spokesman Andrew Griffiths.

“He’s currently the biggest loser in our book at the moment and looks certain to be popular following his big run behind Auroras Encore last year.”

Crabbie’s Grand National – Betfred bet: 8/1 Teaforthree; 14/1 (from 16/1) Tidal Bay; 16/1 Long Run; 16/1 Monbeg Dude; 20/1 (from 25/1) Burton Port; 20/1 Pineau De Re, Prince De Beauchene, Rocky Creek, Triolo d’Alene; 25/1 Balthazar King, Colbert Station, Double Seven, Goonyella; 33/1 Alfie Sherrin, Alvarado, Big Shu, Chance Du Roy, Hawkes Point, Lion Na Bearnai, Mr Moonshine, Night In Milan, Shakalakaboomboom, The Package, The Rainbow Hunter, Wyck Hill; 40/1 Across The Bay, Battle Group, Mountainous, Our Father, Raz De Maree, Rose Of The Moon, Soll, Standing Ovation, There’s No Panic, Vintage Star; 50/1 Baile Anrai, Buckers Bridge, Court By Surprise, Last Time d’Albain, Quito De La Roque, Tranquil Sea, Twirling Magnet, Vesper Bell, Victrix Gale, Walkon, Wayward Prince; 66/1 Any Currency, Golan Way, Gullible Gordon, Hunt Ball, Kruzhlinin, Lost Glory, Minella For Value, One In A Milan, Out Now, Quinz, Quiscover Fontaine, Saint Are, Storm Survivor, Swing Bill, Tour Des Champs, 100/1 Merlin’s Wish, Sir Du Bearn, Solix; 200/1 Sergeant Pink. ¼ 1-2-3-4 (Non-runner, no bet) 

The Crabbie’s Grand National

Class 1, Grade 3, £1,000,000 Total Prize Fund. 4.15pm, Aintree, Saturday, April 5, 2014. Four miles, three and a half furlongs. (The final field will comprise a maximum of 40 runners).

Form    Horse      Age/Wgt  Owner     Trainer/Jockey

1) 21-1532  TIDAL BAY (IRE)   13-11-10  Andrea & Graham Wylie Paul Nicholls/Sam Twiston-Davies

2) 32-54U1  LONG RUN (FR)   9-11-09  Robert Waley-Cohen   Nicky Henderson/Mr Sam Waley-Cohen

3) 606034  HUNT BALL (IRE)   9-11-07  Atlantic Equine   Nicky Henderson/Andrew Tinkler

4) 01-1310  TRIOLO D’ALENE (FR) 7-11-06  Sandy & Caroline Orr   Nicky Henderson/Barry Geraghty

5) 1113-22  ROCKY CREEK (IRE)  8-11-05  The Johnson & Stewart Families Paul Nicholls/Noel Fehily

6) 5-F405P QUITO DE LA ROQUE (FR) 10-11-01 Gigginstown House Stud Colm Murphy IRE

7) U-03U0F  COLBERT STATION (IRE) 10-11-00  J P McManus     Ted Walsh IRE

8) 2P52-U4  WALKON (FR)   9-11-00  McNeill Family    Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson

9) 0P-1111  BALTHAZAR KING (IRE) 10-10-13  The Brushmakers   Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson

10) 06-52P0  WAYWARD PRINCE  10-10-13  John & Hilary Parrott  Hilary Parrott/Jack Doyle 

11) 503112   MR MOONSHINE (IRE) 10-10-12 Douglas Pryde, Jim Beaumont & David van der Hoeven Sue Smith/Ryan Mania

12) 203-020  TEAFORTHREE (IRE)   10-10-12   Conyers, O’Reilly, Roddis, Zeffman Rebecca Curtis/Nick Scholfield

13) 10-501U  ACROSS THE BAY (IRE)  10-10-11  Scotch Piper Syndicate  Donald McCain/Henry Brooke

14) 111116  DOUBLE SEVEN (IRE)  8-10-11  J P McManus    Martin Brassil IRE

15) 11-1PRP  BATTLE GROUP    9-10-10  Jolly Boys Outing   Johnny Farrelly/Brendan Powell

16) 5-05103  BUCKERS BRIDGE (IRE)  8-10-10  Ann & Alan Potts Partnership Henry de Bromhead IRE

17) PP-5014  LION NA BEARNAI (IRE)  12-10-10  The Lock Syndicate  Tom Gibney IRE/Davy Russell

18) 12-3004  PRINCE DE BEAUCHENE (FR) 11-10-10  Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE

19) 3P-3415  MONBEG DUDE (IRE)  9-10-09  Oydunow   Michael Scudamore/Paul Carberry

20) 0211-23  BIG SHU (IRE)  9-10-08 Hugh Duffy/Richard Robinson/Caroline Woods Peter Maher IRE/Peter Buchanan

21) 500P02  BURTON PORT (IRE)   10-10-08  Trevor Hemmings   Jonjo O’Neill/Brian Harding

22) 124-050  OUR FATHER (IRE)   8-10-08  The Ives & Johnson Families David Pipe/Conor O’Farrell

23) 41-3315  MOUNTAINOUS (IRE)  9-10-07  Walters Plant Hire & James & Jean Potter Richard Lee/Jamie Moore

24) 4UP-261 THE RAINBOW HUNTER 10-10-07 May We Never Be Found Out Partnership Kim Bailey/Aidan Coleman

25) P-1262F  VINTAGE STAR (IRE)  8-10-07  Trevor Hemmings   Sue Smith/Brian Hughes

26) 400-1P4  CHANCE DU ROY (FR)  10-10-06  Daphne Du Pre   Philip Hobbs/Tom O’Brien

27) 12P-426  HAWKES POINT    9-10-06  Graham Roach   Paul Nicholls/Ryan Mahon

28) 441103  KRUZHLININ (GER)   7-10-06 Paul & Clare Rooney   Donald McCain

29) 5F2013  PINEAU DE RE (FR)   11-10-06  J A Provan  Dr Richard Newland/Leighton Aspell

30) R03/3-U1 GOLAN WAY     10-10-05 W R B Racing 58   Tim Vaughan/Michael Byrne 

31) 25010U  TWIRLING MAGNET (IRE)  8-10-05 Gay Smith  Jonjo O’Neill

32) 302-FU0  VESPER BELL (IRE)   8-10-05  Susannah Ricci   Willie Mullins IRE

33) 4/14PP-3  THE PACKAGE    11-10-04  The Johnson Family   David Pipe/Tom Scudamore

34) 11-P0P3  RAZ DE MAREE (FR)   9-10-03  James Swan   Dessie Hughes IRE

35) 114P-01  ROSE OF THE MOON (IRE)  9-10-03 Middleham Park Racing XXXIII & Partners David O’Meara/Jake Greenall

36) 220/-6P0  SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM (IRE) 10-10-03  Liam Breslin    Nicky Henderson/David Bass

37) 6R3-51P  ALVARADO (IRE)    9-10-02  William & Angela Rucker Fergal O’Brien/Paddy Brennan

38) 433-000  LAST TIME D’ALBAIN (FR)  10-10-02  Fontstown Syndicate   Liam Cusack IRE

39) P-130PP  LOST GLORY (NZ)    9-10-02  J P McManus     Jonjo O’Neill

40) F3P465  ONE IN A MILAN (IRE)  9-10-02  Paul Langford     Evan Williams/Paul Moloney 

41) P1-2502  GOONYELLA (IRE)    7-10-01  Ann & Alan Potts Partnership Jim Dreaper IRE

42) 4406-50  SWING BILL (FR)    13-10-01  Halewood International Ltd  David Pipe

43) 10-5405  SOLL       9-10-00  Derrick Mossop   Jo Hughes/Mark Grant

44) 121114  MINELLA FOR VALUE (IRE)  8-9-13   Maxilead Limited   John Butler

45) 2301P1  NIGHT IN MILAN (IRE)  8-9-13   Richard Collins   Keith Reveley/James Reveley

46) 000-04P  SAINT ARE (FR)    8-9-13   David Fox     Tim Vaughan

47) 2/0-P50P  OUT NOW (IRE)    10-9-12  Dermot Cox/Nelius Hayes  Edward O’Grady IRE

48) 50231P  TRANQUIL SEA (IRE)  12-9-12  No Dramas Partnership 1  Warren Greatrex

49) 3/304-40  ALFIE SHERRIN    11-9-11  J P McManus     Jonjo O’Neill

50) P0-33265  COURT BY SURPRISE (IRE)  9-9-11   Nick Mustoe     Emma Lavelle 

51) B6-P51P  THERE’S NO PANIC (IRE)  9-9-11    The Stewart Family   Paul Nicholls

52) 0F-0300  QUISCOVER FONTAINE (FR) 10-9-10  J P McManus     Enda Bolger IRE

53) 111006  STANDING OVATION (IRE)  7-9-10   The Bravo Partnership  David Pipe

54) 03-00P16  WYCK HILL (IRE)    10-9-10  J P McManus     David Bridgwater

55) -3341201  BAILE ANRAI (IRE)   10-9-09  Massive     Dan Skelton

56) 2110F0  GULLIBLE GORDON (IRE)  11-9-09  Karen Bowen     Peter Bowen

57) P/4-P050  QUINZ (FR)      10-9-09  Andrew Cohen   Philip Hobbs

58) P53252  ANY CURRENCY (IRE)  11-9-06  Cash Is King     Martin Keighley

59) 5U024P  SIR DU BEARN (FR)   8-9-06   Mickey Bowen    Peter Bowen

60) 465430  SOLIX (FR)      8-9-06   Paul Vogt     Ian Williams 

61) 13F652  STORM SURVIVOR (IRE)  8-9-06   J P McManus     Jonjo O’Neill

62) 013444  VICTRIX GALE (IRE)   8-9-06   Badgers Syndicate   Tony Martin IRE

63) 4-26P35  TOUR DES CHAMPS (FR)  7-9-04   Raymond Mould        Nigel Twiston-Davies

64) 22112F  MERLIN’S WISH    9-9-02   Rosemary Toppin    Martin Keighley

65) 13003U SERGEANT PINK (IRE)  8-8-11    Andrew Sayer    Dianne Sayer

Read Horse Talk with Simon Jackson each day at London24 for the latest horse racing news.