WHEN the dust settled on the freshly published weights for the Randox Grand National on Tuesday, it was two Meathbased trainers represented at the top of the market, and neither of them were the triple winner of the race Gordon Elliott.

Gavin Cromwell, responsible for last year’s runner-up Vanillier, and John McConnell, whose Mahler Mission was second in the Coral Gold Cup earlier this season, can harbour dreams of a career defining win at Aintree this April.