The sight of 2008 Aintree Grand National hero Comply or Die grinding to a halt in the Newcastle mud at the weekend must have been tough to take for those who have been hoping the popular 12-year-old can come back and win the great race for a second time, writes Elliot Slater.

Also a brave runner-up to Mon Mome in the 2009 renewal of the John Smith’s Grand National , David Pipe’s grand campaigner had been sent on the long journey north to Newcastle in a bid to reprise his 2008 win in the Eider Chase, a success that was followed by his finest hour at Aintree six weeks later. Conditions in 2008 were far less testing than on Saturday, and although the David Johnson-owned gelding can handle soft ground, the incredibly heavy underfoot conditions proved too much for him and the overwhelming majority of the field in the race won at a walk by the brave front-runner Companero.

After fading going into the final mile, Comply Or Die was tailed off and barely able to raise a gallop when jockey Timmy Murphy decided that enough was enough and pulled up before the second last. Anyone looking at the Grand National odds would have been deeply worried by the performance.

The impression from the stands was that the horse was exhausted, but Pipe reports that the winner of 8 of his 30 races is OK and should be as good as new after a well earned rest when he gets back home to Nicolashayne.

Having been badly in need of the run on his seasonal reappearance at Wincanton in November, Comply Or Die ran a much better race last time out when running well for a long way in Warwick’s Classic Chase, eventually finishing sixth. Set to run at Aintree off a 9lb lower mark than when 12th to Don’t Push It last year, Pipe’s old stager is a general 50/1 chance to make history and win the title back after a three year gap.