[ONEDUNME]

While Ireland's senior handicapper Noel O'Brien said that overall "Phil has got it right" there was not universal joy among the Irish with Pat Hughes expressing concern about the treatment of Point Barrow on 10st 12lb, a weight which may cause him to look elsewhere.

He said: “10st 12lb is very high. In Ireland with Hedgehunter on 166 and ours on 142, he would have been given 10st 2lb so to be 10lb higher against horses that are proven National horses is crazy. He wouldn’t necessarily go there now - he could go for the Irish National now instead.”

Inevitably many of the contenders have engagements at Cheltenham but Hedgehunter who went to Cheltenham a year ago and finished second in the Gold Cup may miss the Festival this time.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: “He has a little problem with his knee and he was at the vet yesterday and we had a good report so hopefully he will be back in work soon. We will try to get him to Cheltenham but ifthere is any doubt we will probably skip it. I would like to get a run into him before Aintree.

“You just drop your hands on him and he jumps away. He ran a cracking race with a lot of weight last year on ground that probably didn’t suit him but we are hoping with the race a little bit later this year the ground will be a little better. It’s a lot of weight but he carried it last year.”

Mullins has five entries and picked out Bothar Na as his other likely contender. “He ran a cracker in the Hunter Chase last year and is being prepared for the National. He needs good ground.”

Numbersixvalverde, victorious off an 11lb lower mark last year, has 11st 3lb to carry in his bid to become the first back to back winner since Red Rum in 1973 and 1974.

Trainer Martin Brassill said: "His weight is more or less what I thought it would be, as you could not expect him to have the same weight after winning last year.

"The horse is sound and will probably have two more runs before the race, firstly in the Bobbyjo Chase and then perhaps in a hurdle race some time in March.

"He's in a good frame of mind at the moment, you would just be hoping for a lot of luck in running. Slippers' Madden would ride again, as he did nothing wrong last time."