Rachael Blackmore is "very excited" about the challenge of trying to win the Grand National for the second year in a row, despite admitting it is "not ideal" that Minella Times will enter the race at "top-weight".
Minella Times is biding to become just the second horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals after Tiger Roll. Blackmore, meanwhile, is hoping to become the first jockey to win the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year since Tommy Cullinan in 1930.
They are among the favourites to emerge victorious and Blackmore is confident about their chances, despite Minella Times carrying 21lbs more than when they won the race last year. "I'm very excited and it's great to be here," Blackmore told the Jockey Club.
"The track looks great and I'm just really looking forward to the whole meeting kicking off. Having top-weight is not ideal but that's the situation we're in.
"He's in great form at home and Laura [Hoey] who rides him out is very happy with him. His runs this year have been disappointing, but he really does seem in great form now and Henry [de Bromhead, trainer] is extremely happy with him so we're really looking forward to it.
"Henry found a few niggly problems with him and he's sorted them out and he's in top form at home now and schooling well and seems in great nick. We couldn’t be happier with him in that sense coming into the race. I worked him probably two weeks ago now and he felt super.
"To me he's one of those horses who just likes Aintree, he really enjoyed it last year and jumped from fence to fence and that has to be a big plus. The weight is the weight and there's no point me getting too cut up about that, because that’s the situation and we'll be going out giving it our best shot.
"It's a race that as everyone knows you need a lot of luck in, and we got plenty of that last year so hopefully we get some more this year. It's a big help knowing he enjoys it here.
"It's hard to imagine what winning it again would feel like until it actually happens to be honest. It would be a phenomenal performance with the weight he has, but we'll just see what happens. He was fantastic last year and he is a very enjoyable horse to ride, so I'm very much looking forward to getting back on board."
