Trainers Josh Gifford and Richard Rowe once again provide the possible Sussex challenge for the Grand National.

Findon-based Gifford's Brave Highlander and Storrington handler Rowe's Montroe are among 126 entries for the big Aintree race on April 7.

If they line up, they will bid to bring back the £290,000 prize to Sussex for the first time since Aldaniti, trained by Gifford and owned, like Brave Highlander, by Nick Embiricos won it in the Eighties.

Brave Highlander has already run in the National three times, unseating jockey Philip Hide at the Canal Turn second time round, then finishing sixth and last year improving to fourth.

Now a 13-year-old, his chance of winning a National has probably gone but at 40-1 there are far worse each-way bets.

Brave Highlander has not won since January 1998 when he landed the last of his five successes.

But he has looked in good form so far this season, particularly when running fourth behind Eau De Cologne at Kempton and Gifford plans to give the veteran one more run before his regular visit back to Aintree.

The grey Montroe was allotted only 8st 10lb in the long handicap when the weights were announced this week and needs a stack of withdrawals to get a run. A maximum field of 40 will go to post and Montroe is number 100 on the list.

The 66-1 on offer about the nine-year-old is, therefore, hardly tempting and only time will tell if he is given the chance to line up.

Montroe, the winner of seven races out of 29, is a good performer on his day and landed a decent prize at Ascot last year. But he has been out of form this year, including in the Welsh Grand National, and his Aintree chance would appear to be a forlorn one.

However, at least he is qualified to run in the race, unlike the Gifford-trained Glitter Isle and Grass Island, trained in Lewes by Tom McGovern.

Both were given entries in the National but have failed to perform well enough to make the grade for the world's greatest steeplechase.

FRANK"S TOP TIP Brave Highlander, allotted 9st in the long handicap, should get a run in the Grand National and is the better of the two Sussex entries.

It is hard to see him winning the race on his fourth attempt but the odds of 40-1 reflect that and there will be far worse outsiders come the big day.