The Ruby Factor

There is one jockey whose record in the Grand National stands head and shoulder above all others...

Ruby Walsh is by far and away the most successful jockey currently riding, having won the big race twice on board Papillon (2000) and Hedgehunter (2005). He has also finished second, third and fourth (twice) - and perhaps even more remarkably has completed the Grand National course on all bar one of his nine rides to date.

But his riding skill over marathon distances is not limited to Aintree either... Walsh is the only current jockey to have completed the National 'Grand Slam' with a total of four victories in the Scottish, Welsh and Irish equivalents to his name.

It's not surprising then to see his chosen mount for this year's race, Big Fella Thanks, head the market (currently 8/1 favourite).

Big Fella Thanks is the form horse, based on his win last time out at Doncaster - and the horse also finished sixth in last year's Grand National when only a novice. But Walsh would also have had the choice to ride Tricky Trickster or any of the Willie Mullins trained horses, so this has to be a tip in itself. The combination of these two is sure to see them go off a short price come the big day.

The only thing that would temper my enthusiasm is the awful record of the champion trainer Paul Nicholls in the Grand National. Only 25% of his runners have completed the course (11 from 44), with Royal Auclair (2nd in 2005) and My Will (3rd in 2009) his only finishers in the first four places.