5 against the field following the Randox Health Grand National weights

Following the eagerly-awaited release of the Randox Health Grand National weights, Press Association Sport's Ashley Iveson comes up with five fancies for this year's renewal of the world's most famous steeplechase.1) VIEUX LION ROUGE (David Pipe) 25-1The winner of three bumpers and as many races over hurdles, this French-bred gelding remains dangerously unexposed over fences, having won four of his eight starts. He belied that inexperience when negotiating the famous Aintree birch with aplomb in December's Becher Chase and rallying to the cause to get up and beat defending champion Highland Lodge. Pipe has sensibly kept his charge off the track until the publication of the National weights and his allotted burden of 10st 7lb leaves him well placed for a bold show.2) HIGHLAND LODGE (Jimmy Moffatt) 50-1Victory for this 11-year-old would be something of a fairytale, but then there is no race like the National for throwing up a good story. Highland Lodge narrowly missed the cut for the Aintree spectacular after victory in last season's Becher Chase. He subsequently failed to fire in the Scottish equivalent at Ayr, but appeared rejuvenated by a return to Merseyside when coming within a short head of defending his Becher crown under Henry Brooke, who just days earlier had made his return to the saddle after being placed in an induced coma following a heavy fall at Hexham in October.Connections will have breathed a huge sigh of relief to find Highland Lodge as the 42nd horse on the list this time around, virtually guaranteeing him a place in the field, and it would be no surprise to see him go well at rewarding odds. 3) UCELLO CONTI (Gordon Elliott) 33-1The title-chasing Irish trainer has 14 possible runners, including top-weight Outlander and a seemingly resurgent Don Poli, but Ucello Conti is perhaps the most interesting of the lot. Fancied by many last year after sound efforts in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown and the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park, the French import was far from disgraced in finishing sixth following a couple of notable jumping errors. He safely navigated the track again when fourth in the Becher before placing in the Thyestes again, beating all bar the impressive Champagne West. He is rated exactly the same as a year ago on 149 and is capable of bettering last season's effort at the age of nine.4) FOXROCK (Ted Walsh) 50-1Trained by a man who knows what it takes to win the National having struck gold with the heavily-backed Papillon 17 years ago, Foxrock is close to top-class on his day, placing at the highest level in races like the Lexus and the Irish Gold Cup. His once promising career appeared to be on the wane at the end of last season, but he has been revitalised by a stint hunter chasing, completing a hat-trick when beating the popular On The Fringe at Leopardstown last weekend. It was notable afterwards that Walsh said he felt his charge could still finish in the "first three or four" in an Irish Gold Cup and that he was interested to see what weight he received for Aintree. A perch of 10st 12lb does not seem unreasonable and he would be a definite contender if taking to the place.5) ROGUE ANGEL (Mouse Morris) 33-1The trainer of 2016 Grand National hero Rule The World said of this fellow when last year's weights were unveiled: "I'd love to run Rogue Angel if he got in - I'd nearly ride him myself!". The son of Presenting did not make the cut, but did win the Irish Grand National less than a fortnight earlier, proving his appetite for this sort of stamina test. Rogue Angel has been largely disappointing since, but there were definite signs of a revival when he finished fifth in the Thyestes Chase in January. He is again not guaranteed a run as the 60th horse on the list with 10st 3lb on his back, but there is plenty of water to go under the bridge in that regard and he would be dangerous to dismiss if he makes it.