Timmy Murphy commits to Comply Or Die

Timmy Murphy has stayed loyal to Comply Or Die after choosing to ride the 2008 Grand National winner in Saturday's big race at Aintree, writes Geoff Lester.

As owner David Johnson's retained jockey, Murphy had the choice of partnering the 11-year-old or rising star The Package in the £925,000 race.

Murphy was unable to make up his mind on which horse to ride despite schooling the pair over trainer David Pipe's National-type fences earlier this week.

But, after some pressure from Johnson today, the Irishman opted to ride the former Grand National hero.

Johnson said: "Timmy Murphy will ride Comply Or Die. I told him it is make your mind up time, so he has decided to stay with Comply Or Die.

"I think they've both got big chances but it's a very tough race and every horse has a chance."

The move means that Graham Lee, who won the 2004 National on Amberleigh House, will ride The Package.

The gelding ran well to finish second in the William Hill Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival but faces a tough task because no seven-year-old has won the Grand National since Bogskar in 1940.