Grand National joint favourite Mr Pointment will need to emulate Red Rum - the race's greatest winner - if he is to land this year's Aintree marathon.

Handicapper Phil Smith has lumped the totesport Becher Chase winner with a whopping 11st 8lb.

And in the last 50 years only Triple Grand National winner Red Rum has carried more than 11st 5lb to victory.

Damian Walker, spokesman for totesport Aintree's official betting partner, said: "Mr Pointment will have to carry a minimum of 11st 8lb and that may be a bridge too far as only Red Rum has carried that sort of weight to victory in the last 50 years.

"We would have lengthened Mr Pointment's odds from 12/1 but for significant ante-post liabilities on the horse and we believe his weight will be a major obstacle to trainer Paul Nicholls breaking his Grand National duck.

"Last season the first five home in the race all carried 10st 8lb or less and, although Hedgehunter won the race in 2005 with 11st 1lb, he had the class to finish second in the following year's totesport Gold Cup." Willie Mullins, who trained Hedgehunter, looks to have another great chance of landing the race as his Snowy Morning has a handy weight of 10st 12lb and is 12/1 from 14/1.

Totesport make it 5/6 that the winner of the race will carry 11 stone or more and 5/6 that the victor carries less than 11 stone.

Coral make Snowy Morning the new 10/1 (from 14/1) favourite while they've eased Mr Pointment to 14s from 12s.

"Although there are few surprises when the National weights are revealed now, we reckon Mr Pointment has been done no favours by the handicapper, and as a result Paul Nicholls' charge has lost his position at the head of the betting," said Coral's David Stevens.

"By contrast, Snowy Morning looks fairly treated, and off 10st 12lb could play a major part in the big race."

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