JOHN Smith’s Grand National hero Don’t Push It is ready to begin on the road back to Aintree.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained 10-year-old helped Tony McCoy grab an emotional first win the Aintree marathon back in April helping to the 15-time champion jump jockey at the head of the betting for next week’s BBC Sports Personality Award.

Don’t Push It is a best-priced 20-1 to retain his crown on April 9 and his season will be geared around a bid to do just that.

The JP McManus-owned gelding is working well at home and weather providing he could make his seasonal debut on Saturday.

He has an entry in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) at Sandown on Saturday, but the meeting is in doubt because of the recent cold snap.

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner McManus, said: “He’s coming on really well and is in good form and he’ll be out in the next few weeks wherever there’s racing. He’ll probably run over hurdles first and the long-term plan would be the Grand National again.”

The Arctic conditions are still causing havoc with the racing programme in Britain and Ireland.

All-weather racing is keeping the flag flying, but today will be the fourth day running without any jumps fixtures after Plumpton was called off due to frost.

Two of tomorrow’s three National Hunt cards, at Leicester and Market Rasen, have already fallen, while Wincanton are hoping for a thaw and are to inspect at 9am today.

Exeter will hold an inspection at 3pm today ahead of Friday’s meeting, but prospects do not look good.

An inspection at Sandown is likely to be called for tomorrow morning ahead of their scheduled two-day meeting that features the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday. The course is currently unraceable due to snow though the frost is out of the ground.

TODAY’S NAP: Waterloo Dock (5.30pm Kempton).