JUST A Par remains in with a good chance of being part of the field for this year’s Randox Health Grand National after rising to 53rd in the weights following the second scratchings deadline.

The 12-year-old trained by Cartmel-based James Moffatt stood his ground along with stablemate Highland Lodge for the race at Aintree on Saturday, April 6 when the latest deadline passed this week.

Among those to have withdrawn at this stage are 2016 runner-up The Last Samurai and Welsh Grand National winner Elegant Escape, who finished sixth in the recent Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

A total of 81 runners still remain in the field at this point, with just a few days to go until the five-day confirmations on Monday, April 1.

Highland Lodge is currently 74th in the weights and looking unlikely to make the final field of 40 barring a large number of withdrawals between now and the final declarations on April 4.

However, Moffatt’s Aintree course specialist does hold an entry for the Topham Chase at the Merseyside venue on Friday, April 5.

Run over 2m 5f, the Topham is one of three races at the meeting held over the Grand National fences which Highland Lodge has enjoyed success jumping in the end-of-year Becher Chase.

Last year’s winner Tiger Roll is favourite in the early betting for this year’s National, with Moffatt’s pair both 100/1 at present.