Paul Townend is aiming to win a second Grand National in five days at Aintree on Saturday.
Willie Mullins' retained jockey partnered I Am Maximus to victory in the Irish National on Easter Monday and rides Gaillard Du Mesnil (10/1 generally) in the big race in Liverpool today.
Townend has enjoyed another hugely successful season to date, with the Gold Cup and Champion Chase among the five races he won at last month's Cheltenham Festival.
READ MORE: Grand National full race card and tips - list of runners at Aintree on Saturday
Speaking exclusively on Ladbrokes ahead of the Grand National, the Cork jockey said: "The Grand National is a huge day and it is lovely to be a part of it. Hopefully we get a bit of luck in it this year.
"I am really looking forward to riding Gaillard Du Mesnil. He ran well in the Irish National last year and he is a Cheltenham Festival winner. I suppose he had a hard enough race at Cheltenham which isn’t ideal. I don’t know if the rain coming will help his chances over the trip but we can’t do anything about that. I think he will take to the race well but you don’t know until you try. He is a Grade One winner and a classy horse with a nice race weight, so I am looking forward to it.
"These races are coming hot and heavy, with the Irish Grand National gone by, and Punchestown coming up, but I am hoping we will be able to reflect on another National winner.
"The weighing room is an interesting place before the Grand National. The loud lads can get quiet, and the quiet lads get louder. It’s a fun environment and after the race, it’s probably even livelier. We are like kids at Christmas, talking about how we all got on.
"The atmosphere at Aintree is incredible but you are in the zone once you get out on the track. Waiting in the parade ring is the hard part. You just want to get up and get going.
"I have been asked who the dangers are to my horse but all 39 other runners are dangers! It is a Grand National, anything can happen."
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