Despite having already won the world’s greatest steeplechase jockey Daryl Jacob says taking it again with Bristol de Mai would be “by far the best day I’ve had in the saddle”.
Jacob steered Paul Nicholls’ Neptune Collonges to a short-head victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in 2012.
But he has struck up a fine partnership with the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Bristol De Mai in recent years.
The 10-year-old grey has won Grade One Betfair Chase three times at fellow Merseyside track, Haydock Park, and will be having his first crack at the Aintree marathon.
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He must shoulder top weight at Aintree but Jacob is confident he will relish the jumping test at Aintree.
He said: “To get to ride Bristol de Mai in the Grand National is hugely exciting. This is probably going to be his biggest task to date but it’s one we’re relishing as a team.
“I’ve wanted him to have a crack at this for a while because I’ve always felt that he’s the type of horse – especially in the later years of his career – who’d enjoy it.
“His jumping is what’s been standing him in good stead and a left-handed flat track around Aintree will suit him really well. He ran really well in a tough race at Sandown and I thought that Native River was pretty much back to his best that day. We know his wellbeing is good, he obviously won the Betfair Chase for the third time at the start of the season as well so we’ve deliberately kept him fresh.
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“The best form he can be in is when he’s very fresh and very well and that’s why we’ve laid off him until Aintree. All being well, we’ll have a nice run round and hopefully he can be there or thereabouts.
“It’s a race that (Bristol de Mai’s owners) Simon (Munir) and Isaac (Souede) have loved and supported since I’ve been with them and I’d love to win it for them. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing bigger I could do for them, so it would be by far the greatest day I’ve had in the saddle if I can do it.”
