Ben tops National weights

Our Ben, trained by Willie Mullins, heads 30 runners in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday.

The exciting novice must carry top weight of 11st 12lb after he was last seen unseating Ruby Walsh at the third fence in the Royal and SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mullins will also be represented by another novice in Homer Wells.

Dun Doire missed the cut for the Aintree equivalent last week but will carry the hopes of Tony Martin at Fairyhouse.

The seven-year-old was a winner at Cheltenham after finishing with a rattling late run up the hill to win the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase – his seventh victory in eight starts.

GVA Ireland, who won the Midlands Grand National in testing conditions last month for Francis Flood, is set to take his chance along with 2004 Cheltenham Gold Cup third Harbour Pilot.

Noel Meade will also saddle Topham Chase faller Star Clipper and No Half Session, who will be ridden by Grand National-winning jockey Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden.

Tony McCoy will ride the JP McManus-owned Far From Trouble, who finished third behind Hot Weld in the Letheby & Christopher National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.

Paul Nolan will be double-handed with Coljon and Kymandjen, while Ferdy Murphy’s Supreme Developer is the sole British representative in the three-mile-five-furlong contest.