The Martell Grand National has an open looks to it even though favourite Mely Moss is only 7-1 in the betting.

But I do not believe the favourite will triumph. He must be at a disadvantage because he has been without a run since finishing second to Papillon last year.

I do not feel, either, that Papillon will repeat his triumph as he is much higher in the weights this time.

My suggestion is Dark Stranger, who started favourite a year ago but only got as far as the third fence.

He normally jumps well and his preparation by trainer Martin Pipe, who has a record number of runners in the race, has been encouraging.

Dark Stranger was third to Young Spartacus and Cammanche Court in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton Park last time out.

He has a racing weight of only 10st 3lb and, although he has not run over an extreme distance, I will be surprised if he fails through lack of stamina.

I think he will win even though Tony McCoy has elected to partner Blowing Wind.

The champion jockey had the choice of Pipe's ten runners in the Aintree spectacular but following heavy rain he decided on Blowing Wind.

The eight-year-old has won at Doncaster and Sandown this season and, at Sandown handled heavy going well to beat Get Real by three-and-a-half-lengths. McCoy said: "I had a good win on him at Doncaster and then he won well at Sandown (ridden by Rodi Greene) on the ground."

One of the horses he has discarded is Northern Starlight. He said: "I love the horse but I can't ride him, not in this ground. It would be too hard work for him."

On hearing the news William Hill immediately halved Blow Wind's odds to 20-1 from 40-1.

The only thing against Beau is his top weight of 11st 10lb. He won the Whitbread Gold Cup last April, making all of the running over three miles five furlongs and stamina and jumping are his strong points.

At the age of eight, Beau is still improving. His rider Carl Llewellyn has won two Grand Nationals already and trainer Triston Davies saddled Earth Summit to win three years ago.

Beau's whole campaign this season has been geared to this one day, but of course he is not alone.

The same applies to Findon-trained Brave Highlander, who has run three super races in the last three Grand Nationals.

Trainer Josh Gifford said his preparation has gone better this time than in previous years. Brave Highlander has not suffered any setbacks, nor has the weather interrupted his programme.

But at the age of 13 Brave Highlander will not be getting any faster. However his experience can offset his age and I do expect him to finish in the first four.

I see 11-year-old Red Marauder doing the same despite falling at the sixth fence, Becher's Brook, last year and also tipped up last time out at Haydock.

In jockey Richard Guest, he has one of the best horsemen on the circuit and given the clear the round of which he is certainly capable, Red Marauder may prove best of the Northern-trained horses, which include last year's fifth Addington Boy, The Last Fling, trained by Harvey Smith's wife, Sue, and Paddy's Return, a stable companion of Addington Boy.

Brave Highlander is left to fly the flag for the county in the £500,000 Grand National at Aintree tomorrow as Montroe will not run.

Storrington trainer Richard Rowe said last night: "Montroe would have only been third reserve for the National, so we decided to make sure he got a run and go for John Hughes Chase ridden by Barry Fenton, over the big fences tomorrow."