DESPITE niggling injury problems, Martell Grand National winner Red Marauder remains on course for a possible defence of his crown at Aintree next April.

"Red Marauder's health is our first priority, but we're nursing him along slowly and if all is well in the spring he might well return to Aintree," declared owner trainer Norman Mason at Brancepeth Manor Farm yesterday.

The eleven-year-old gelding, winner of nine races and over £400,000 in prize money, looked in magnificent shape as he paraded at Mason's stables at an event sponsored by Martell to launch the build-up to the 2002 National.

Mason was also quick to heap praise on Red Marauder's jockey, Richard Guest, who doubles up as assistant trainer.

"Much of the credit must go to Richard because he is responsible for the day-to-day running of the yard and without him none of this would have happened," he said.

After several well-publicised run-ins with the Jockey Club during the mid-nineties, Guest's career was at a crossroads. Then three years ago came the job offer from Mason, to which he replied: "Only on the condition that I run the yard and you collect the silver!"

Guest is only too well aware of Red Marauder's long-standing leg injury and is in no hurry with the horse.

"He's in light work at present and we shall just have to see how he goes along between now and February," he said.

Aintree Managing Director, Charles Barnett, announced that the total prize money fund for the 2002 Martell Grand National Meeting would be £1.64 m. All 21 races at the three-day fixture, beginning on April 4, will for the first time carry the Martell prefix.

* Charles Egerton and Jim Old took the training honours at Leicester yesterday when successfully bringing back Gianluca and Kattegat from lengthy spells on the sidelines.

The Egerton-trained Gianluca had been prevented by knee trouble from running for over 700 days but, once Norman Williamson produced him two flights out in the Brimardon Four Winners novices hurdle, the writing was on the wall for the favourite, Tissifer.

After Gianluca had gone on to beat Homer by a length and a half, Egerton said: ''That's a big relief. This horse hurt a knee while he was box-resting and had to have a chip removed.''