The race everybody in racing wants to win takes place on Saturday with the latest edition of the John Smith's Grand National.
Annual cavalry charge is here again
The race everybody in racing wants to win takes place on Saturday with the latest edition of the John Smith's Grand National.
The maximum field of 40 runners will once again hurtle towards the first of 30 big Aintree fences carrying the hopes and dreams of owners, trainers, jockeys, punters, stable lads and lasses alike.
There have been two late changes to the line-up with Cerium replacing stablemate Mr Pointment and Royal Rosa taking the place of the fellow Howard Johnson-trained Abbeybraney.
To view our pinstickers guide to Saturday's big race
click here.
This year's line-up includes several old favourites, including the last two winners of the race in Comply Or Die - who was also second last year - and Mon Mome.
Favourite
The latter will be amongst the favourites this year after winning last year at odds of 100-1, following his fantastic prep race in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which he finished third.
However, the
burden of favourite looks almost certain to be on Big Fella Thanks, who represents the all-conquering partnership of trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh.
In fact, the National represents just about the only big race that Nicholls still does not have on his CV.
The master of Ditcheat has saddled no fewer than 44 runners in the big race without success, with Royal Auclair coming closest when second in 2005.
It is perhaps not surprising that Big Fella Thanks heads the betting this time around though, considering he finished sixth as a novice 12 months ago.
Nicholls has trained the eight-year-old with the race in mind this season, having had just three outings including when successful at Newbury last time out over a trip fully two miles shorter than he will face on Saturday.
Stronger
But the extra distance holds few fears for the trainer, who reports his charge to be in better order than last year.
"He's a lot stronger this year - he certainly would not have won a two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase last year," he said.
"We have not been too hard on him and, with Ruby on board, we're really looking forward to it.
"He doesn't want the ground too soft. Good to soft is absolutely perfect. He won a Great Yorkshire (at Doncaster) on the soft but is a much happier horse on the better ground.
"Some horses will go and take to it (the National course) second time and some will think they have had enough of it.
"You never really know, but we've done a lot of schooling with him, he has jumped really well and we're very hopeful."
Nicholls has three other strings to his bow including Tricky Trickster, the mount of Barry Geraghty, who had been favourite for the race until his a dismal performance in the Gold Cup last month.
Lazy
"I wish I knew what went wrong at Cheltenham - I think he just had an off-day - and you can forgive them that," added Nicholls. "If he hadn't run in the Gold Cup, he'd probably be favourite.
"He can be a lazy horse - I think he half went to sleep in the race - but came out of it well and did a great piece of work with Big Fella Thanks.
"I suppose Cheltenham took the pressure off a bit for him but I've got no real explanation for it."
Walsh partnered My Will to finish third 12 months ago and the 10-year-old returns to have another crack with Nick Schofield taking the ride this time.
"A lot of My Will's form this season is on really soft ground, which he doesn't like any more," reported Nicholls. "He jumped OK last year (third) but he'll have to jump better to be in with a real chance.
"He ran quite well in the Gold Cup and he'd have an outside chance."
Liam Treadwell partnered Mon Mome to victory last year on his first ride in the race and partners another 100-1 shot this time for Nicholls in Nozic.
Champion jockey Tony McCoy is another major player yet to add the National to his list of big race wins after 14 unsuccessful attempts, and this year partner's the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Don't Push It.
"Everyone talks about the luck you need to win the race, which is true," said the trainer. "But thinking back to Clan Royal's two unlucky defeats, I think we need a bit more than most.
"You can't go into the National feeling confident because anything can happen, but I'd like to think Can't Buy Time and Don't Push It will put in a good show."
With the ground coming in his favour, hopes are high in the Evan Williams camp for another bold showing from last year's fourth, State Of Play.
Luck
"We've always been keen to train him with the National in mind and he's always better after a long break," said Williams. "He's had a great preparation and has not missed a day's work.
"It's always nice to be reasonably weighted (10st 11lb) but the weight is perhaps the most trivial piece in the jigsaw. Around Aintree, I think it's luck you need most. As long as the ground is good to soft we've got no worries."
Jockey Timmy Murphy had the choice of riding 2008 hero Comply Or Die or The Package for owner David Johnson, and opted to remain loyal to the former winner, despite him now being 11 years old.
But Johnson is looking forward to seeing both horses in action.
"Comply Or Die looks a million dollars and all roads have led to Aintree all year, so he's had a light campaign," he said. "He's not getting any younger, but he's fit and well and hopefully he'll be every bit as good as he was last year.
"I think he'll shorten up before the race as the public seem to take to him.
"The Package is the new kid on the block - you have to go back to the 1940s since a seven-year-old won - but the record is there to be broken and I think he's got a real big chance if he takes to the fences.
"The forecast says we'll have good to soft ground on the day, which would be ideal for most horses - particularly my own."
Fancied
Trainer Dessie Hughes heads the strong Irish challenge with Black Apalachi and Vic Venturi, both winners over the fearsome National fences.
Indeed, the former was strongly fancied 12 months ago only to crash out at Becher's on the second circuit after giving his supporters a fine run from the front.
"Black Apalachi has done everything right. We tried to save his handicap mark from last year by running him over hurdles and then when the weights came out we ran him in the Bobbyjo Chase, and he came second to our other horse Vic Venturi," said the County Kildare trainer.
"The bottom weight is over 10st so he hasn't got to give away that much weight, so we're happy."
Paddy Flood rides Vic Venturi and he added: "I think he'll go well. I won the Becher Chase on him earlier in the season and that was a good buzz. It would be better if I could win the National round Aintree."
Willie Mullins saddles Snowy Morning for a third time - the horse finishing third two years before a slightly disappointing ninth-place finish last year.
One place ahead of Snowy Morning in 2008 was King Johns Castle, who will once more be ridden by Paul Carberry for trainer Arthur Moore.
Others to look out for are the grey Character Building, who has recently been purchased to run in the colours of the 1992 winner Party Politics, while trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is responsible for no fewer than five runners, headed by Irish Raptor.
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