Trainer Anthony Honeyball is unsure whether Regal Encore will go for the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on Saturday.
Regal Encore has been allotted top weight for the feature race this year and he will have to produce a fantastic performance in order to clinch the coveted title.
No less than 36 entries have been confirmed in the field and the £125,000 prize fund may just have had something to do with the massive interest.
Honeyball is currently considering the options for the nine-year-old bay gelding and has revealed there are other races in the pipeline if Uttoxeter is given a miss this weekend.
“He could run if it stays dry through the week but I have to speak to [owner JP McManus' racing manager] Frank Berry. The only thing to worry about is the weight as he's not a big scopey horse to carry 11st 12lb,” he was quoted as saying by beta.racingpost.com.
“But it's a more valuable race than any of the handicaps at the festival so worth waiting for. If he doesn't run he would wait for either the Aintree Grand National or the Irish National, or the Punchestown festival where he went close to winning last year.”
