TIMMY MURPHY has decided to stay loyal to 2008 winner Comply Or Die in this Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National.

Murphy is the retained jockey to owner David Johnson, and faced a difficult choice over who to ride between the 2008 winner and last year’s runner-up Comply Or Die and the up-and-coming The Package.

The Package is only seven, but ran an excellent National trial when second to Chief Dan George in the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham last time.

But in the end Murphy has decided to go with the experience of the 11-year-old who gave him his National success.

Northern-based Graham Lee, who also won the Grand National aboard the Ginger McCain-trained Amberleigh House in 2004, will be now ride The Package.

Owner Johnson said: “Timmy Murphy will ride Comply Or Die. I’ve just been speaking to him and I told him it’s make your mind up time, so he’s decided to stay with Comply Or Die.

“It doesn’t surprise me as he’s come first and second for the last two years and it’s very hard to get off that.

“Graham will ride The Package and he was very pleased with him the other day. I think they’ve both got big chances, but it’s a very tough race and every horse in the race has a chance.”

The news of Murphy’s choice has seen Comply Or Die being backed. He is as low as 16-1 with some firms although William Hill go 22-1. The David Pipe-trained gelding has only run twice since finishing second to Mon Mome 12 months ago and must carry 11st5lb in Saturday’s 4m4f marathon.

The Package, who is 16-1 with William Hill, Skybet and Sportingbet, carries just 10st7lb.

Trainer Paul Murphy is praying that a few horses drop out of the final field today’s final declaration stage to let Cerium run in the race again. He said: “We really just need the one to come out as I can pull Mr Pointment out if I have to.

“Cerium was fifth in the race last year and is obviously our main hope, he’s a nine-year-old now as well so he’s the ideal age.

“The handicapper has been good enough to leave him on last year’s mark of 139, so we can’t complain. It is just a better quality race this year, so we’re just in the lap of the gods.”

Cerium’s performance, under Formby jockey Keith Mercer, 12 months ago was even more remarkable considering he returned home with a fractured skull.

Last year he ran in Cheltenham Gold Cup prior to Aintree and he did so again, when eighth under jockey Davy Russell, who will on board again on Saturday.

Murphy added: “Looking at the times and everything else we think he ran 10 lengths better in the Gold Cup than he did last year.

“Some people will say the fractured skull affected him last year while some people will say it didn’t, but I think it must have affected him in some way.

“He’s over that now and has come back a much happier horse than he was this time last year and looking 10 times better.”

Meanwhile clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch changed the going on the National course to soft, good to soft in places (from good to soft, soft in places) after two millimetres of rain early on Wednesday. It is expected to mainly dry on all three days of the meeting.

Tulloch said: “The National course is retaining the moisture as the majority of the ground has not been raced on since last year’s meeting.

“The Mildmay and hurdle courses ride a bit quicker because of a different soil substructure, but we will have fresh ground on the bends each day.”