Here we are again. Another Grand National.

A great day's racing and we're all scratching our heads looking for the winner.

It's never easy to find but over half of the last 27 winners had starting prices ranging from 9-1 to 14-1. It's also worth noting that nine-year-olds have won a third of the Nationals run in the last century.

What of the North's chances? The last northern winner was Hallo Dandy, trained by the late Gordon Richards in 1984.

Ferdy Murphy, of West Witton, saddles Addington Boy and Paddy's Return.

Addington Boy was fifth last year and fourth the year before, so he certainly knows his way round.

Meanwhile, Norman Mason sends Red Marauder from Brancepeth in County Durham, while Nicky Richards has Feels Like Gold from Cumbria and Sue Smith's Yorkshire raider is The Last Fling.

Last year's winner Papillon is in good form.

He's up in the weights and is bidding to become the first horse since Red Rum 27 years ago to win successive Nationals but I can see him running another big race.

Mely Moss is clearly very difficult to train, but Charlie Egerton had him spot on last year, when he was a gallant second.

He was making his seasonal bow again that time but it's going to be an almighty task to win first time out in testing ground.

He's very short at 8-1 but he would become the first horse since Frigate in 1889 to win a National on his seasonal debut.

Two of the other fancied horses, Earthmover and Dark Stranger - last year's favourite and possibly the housewives' choice - are prone to jumping errors. Beau stays and jumps well but has to shoulder top weight.

With the going expected to be heavy, the horse that catches my eye is former Welsh Grand National winner Edmond. He stays forever and will love the ground, as will Moral Support.

It's very difficult running horses at the moment - meetings are either off through waterlogging or through foot and mouth, with more and more courses falling inside BHB exclusion zones.

I saw at first hand the disinfecting procedure at Southwell recently and was very impressed. All vehicles passed over a disinfecting spray platform on entering and leaving the racecourse.

After unloading the horses, horseboxes are power-washed off, then sprayed with disinfectant again. All people and horses have to walk over disinfected mats before entering the course.

Racecourses are doing excellent jobs in trying to carry on with business as usual and are taking no chances.

Possibly, they are a lot more alert than our present Government.

Did you know there are actually only two racecourses that can't race under MAFF exclusion zone rules, but under stricter British Horseracing Board guidelines, there are 14 courses?

Sad news from Ireland this week. Bobbyjo, the 1999 Grand National winner, has died following complications after surgery on a shattered carpal bone.

He won eight races.

He'll be a short price but there's plenty of confidence behind Mark Johnston's Desert Deer in the 5.20pm at Mussleburgh today.

Column Published: 07/04/01