David Pipe’s The Package, a leading fancy for last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, looks set to be a key player in this year’s renewal having been specifically targeted at the Aintree marathon by his shrewd connections, writes Elliot Slater.

Owner David-Johnson’s gelding was in the process of running a good race and had just started to improve his position from mid-division, when he blundered and unseated Graham Lee at the 19th fence. It’s impossible to know just how the eight-year-old might have fared, but there is little doubt that the son of Kayf Tara showed enough to have his whole campaign this term geared around a repeat bid.

Like so many leading contenders for the race, The Package’s campaign thus far has been limited as a result of his trainer not wanting to show the official handicapper too much with regard to the well being of his charge. The weights for the great race will be published in mid-February, after which Pipe and a host of other trainers will return their horses to competition and get them fit and ready to run for their lives, safe in the knowledge that the handicapper cannot raise their official mark following the publication of the weights. Anyone thinking of placing a Grand National bet should bear this in mind.

Either side of his Grand National run last term The Package ran very well indeed, being beaten just a head by Chief Dan George in the William Hill Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival over three miles, and at the end of the season running a solid race to be fifth to Church Island in the Bet365 Gold Cup (formerly the Whitbred Gold Cup) at Sandown over three-and-three-quarter miles.

At odds of up to 40/1 in the ante-post market, The Package (fifth at Wincanton in November on his only start so far this term), looks a value bet, and is more than likely to give supporters a very good run for their money at Aintree.