KEEP it simple and go for Simon in tomorrow's John Smith's Grand National.

Winner of his last two races, the eight-year-old is a horse on the upgrade and, crucially, in a race where runners weighted above 11st have an abysmal record, he is nicely under that significant barrier in the Aintree showpiece.

The mount of Darlington-born Andrew Thornton, who has struck up a great understanding with him, Simon carries the colours of Mercy Rimell, whose late husband Fred sent out no fewer than four Grand National winners from his famous Kinnersley yard in Worcestershire, now fittingly occupied by John Spearing, trainer of Simon.

Winner of the Great Yorkshire Chase at Southwell on his penultimate start, Simon followed-up in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton, again over three miles.

He has, however, proved his stamina over longer distances.

Tomorrow's four-and-a-half miles takes him into new territory, but there is every chance he will stay the marathon trip and this sound jumper should also cope with these unique obstacles.

While Simon has, admittedly, shown his best form with some give in the ground, so, too have many of the leading fancies tomorrow, all of whom face livelier conditions than normal.

Irish trainers have won the race in five of the last eight years, and their best chances of adding to that impressive tally tomorrow would appear to rest with Numbersixvalverde, last year's winner, and Point Barrow, a past winner of the Irish National.

Both horses have been trained very much with the Grand National as their sole objective, and boast leading chances. Of the pair, Point Barrow will probably enjoy the dry ground more than Numbersixvalverde, whose chances of a famous double may also have been compromised by having crept just above 11st in the handicap.

Hedgehunter, winner in 2005 and runner-up last year, is a real Aintree specialist, but he surely has it all to do under top-weight of 11st 12lb.

By contrast, Joes Edge, carrying the North Yorkshire flag, has a comparative featherweight to carry and comes into battle in top form, following a dramatic short-head win in a handicap at last month's Cheltenham Festival for Middleham trainer, Ferdy Murphy.

A former winner of the Scottish National, Joes Edge, who finished a creditable seventh to Numbersixvalverde in this race last year when the good-to-soft ground was against him, will be partnered by Graham Lee, triumphant on Amberleigh House in the 2004 renewal.

Bewley's Berry, trained in Co Durham by Howard Johnson, jumped this course well when chasing home Eurotrek in the Becher Chase here in November and is not without an each-way chance, along with Silver Birch and Slim Pickings.


TOM O'RYAN'S NATIONAL PICKS

1st Simon (NAP)
2nd Point Barrow
3rd Numbersixvalverde
4th Joes Edge