For those who are keen to make their own selections, my Twitter Guide to this year's runners may prove of very limited use. For everyone else, here's a view...
1. Backstage Going well last year when brought down. Had this as his target all season. Trainer knows what's required having won the 2007 running with Silver Birch.
2. Big Fella Thanks Fourth last year, appearing to run out of petrol losing third spot on the long run-in. Sixth the year before, so knows how to get round.
3. Don't Push It Last year's winner is another year older and has an extra five pounds to carry.
4. State Of Play Finished third last year and fourth the year before. 2006 Hennessy winner has a nice racing weight although trainer thinks his charge can't win.
5. Golden Kite Munster National winner sneaks in at the bottom of the handicap and looks the best big-priced outsider to these eyes (80/1 bet365, Victor Chandler and Stan James.)
6. Oscar Time Sam Waley-Cohen finished fifth on 40/1 chance Liberthine in 2007. Oscar Time, part-owned by his father, is taken to give the amateur a decent ride round. Expect mayhem if he becomes the first amateur to win the Gold Cup and the National!
Good luck everyone!
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The race was marred by the deaths of two horses, Ornais and Dooneys Gate. For the first time two fences were by by-passed on the second circuit as the horses lay stricken on the turf.
Backstage (16/1) proved aptly-named as he was outpaced after the nineteenth and was never dangerous - he finished tenth.
Big Fella Thanks (12/1) had every chance two from home but again the petrol ran out - he finished seventh.
Top weight Don't Push It (9/1) finished third.
State Of Play (28/1) stayed on take fourth
Golden Kite (66/1) lost his place five from home but finished in his own time in sixteenth while Oscar Time (12/1) was just two and a qaurter lengths away from giving Mr Sam Waley-Cohen the double he craved.
Donald McCain's Ballabriggs (14/1) took to Aintree to win the National, leading early on and apart from one blunder (Valentines 2nd time) jumping impeccably.
Three of the selections finished in the first four and all the selections completed but this year the image that remains is of the field bypassing two fences and the two stricken horses.
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