Champion jockey elect Richard Johnson reveals Grand National dream

Richard Johnson has yet to win the Crabbie's Grand National, but he hopes Kruzhlinin can change that at Aintree on April 9.

In a season which has seen Richard Johnson reach a number of personal milestones there is one significant victory that would make it complete.

The Crabbie's Grand National has eluded some of jumps racing's greatest riders, with its lottery-type nature making it the hardest event in which to triumph on the National Hunt calendar.

While now-retired 20-times champion jockey Sir Antony McCoy ticked it off from his to-do list in 2010 aboard Don't Push It, the race has escaped the clutches of luminaries like John Francome, Peter Scudamore and Jonjo O'Neill.

With his first champion jockey title within touching distance in a campaign that has seen him ride a double century for the first time, along with surpassing the 3,000 career-winner mark, success at Aintree on April 9 would undoubtedly make it the season of all seasons.

Johnson said: "I think in any season to win the Grand National is amazing. I think it is the one race over the world that people know.

"Even for non-racing people it's the one race a year they watch. It gets national press. It's an amazing race and the history is fantastic. I've been second in it twice, so it would be nice to add it to my CV.

"You need the right horse, which is important for any race. But for the National you need one that is brave and tough.

"The best horse doesn't always win it, you need a lot of good attributes but there is no doubt you need a bit of luck to win a 40-runner race."

Bidding to give Johnson the victory he has tried, but hitherto failed to achieve on numerous occasions in a race which he first rode in back in 1997 aboard the Venetia Williams-trained Celtic Abbey I, is the Philip Hobbs-trained Kruzhlinin.

Although only partnering the nine-year-old on two occasions, the 38-year-old believes he has all the right credentials needed to help him break his duck, having enjoyed a solid prep for the race when finishing fifth in the Ultima Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival.

He said: "I've had two near-misses, but hopefully I've got a good horse for it this year.

"Kruzhlinin's target has been the National. The season has been mapped around that. It will be his third run of the season so he should have a good chance.

"He has been round there before (Becher Chase), which is a bonus, and seems in very good form.

"He won nicely at Kempton earlier in the year. He ticks a lot of boxes. He ran well enough in the Ultima on the first day, but the lively ground and trip wouldn't have played to his strengths.

"He has got a decent level of ability which is important and he travels well, along with the fact he is a big, strong horse. He jumped well at Kempton and the fact he has been there before are positives for the National.

"With 40 runners you can never be too confident, but he fits the right profile."

Having landed the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle among countless other big-race wins, Johnson feels that while victory in the National would not necessarily have an impact on his career it would make him a more familiar figure to the wider public.

He said: "I think it probably ranks alongside the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, those championship races at Cheltenham are equally important.

"I think for the general public, if you say you have won the Grand National they know what it is - if you say you've won the Champion Hurdle a lot of non-racing people wouldn't know that.

"I suppose the Grand National is the people's race. If you said to anybody, 'I've won Wimbledon' or 'I've won the World Cup', they would understand it and I think any walk of life would understand you if you said you have won the Grand National.

"I don't think it would change my career, as I've been very blessed to have an amazing career anyway, but it would be lovely to add it to my CV.

"For my children I suppose it would be something they would be quite proud of."

Throughout his distinguished career Johnson has been supported by many trainers, but it is his association with Hobbs that has helped it flourish.

He said: "I think another dream as a jockey would be to see Philip Hobbs become champion trainer. If I could help him do that it would be amazing.

"The Grand National is also a key race for a trainer to win. It would be fantastic for him as he has been a supporter of mine for a long time and we've done a lot together."