FILL your boots by backing Forest Gunner (4.10) for this afternoon's £700,000 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree.

They say there's no fool like an old fool, an assertion particularly applicable to veteran trainer Ginger McCain, who reckons Carrie Ford is incapable of becoming the first woman to win the Grand National by steering Forest Gunner to victory

"Women don't win Grand Nationals, she's had a nipper plus three, four, or five rides over hurdles and the odd chase, but that doesn't' give you the fitness required to go round the National course," says McCain.

In an ideal world it would be nice to think McCain, responsible for three-time National hero Red Rum and 2004 winner Amberleigh House, could be a little more gracious, or simply keep his mouth shut.

His blatantly sexist opinions are not only ill-advised but also poorly informed, since it was Ford who ten weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Hannah, booted Forest Gunner to an impressive success over the Grand National fences in the Fox Hunter's Chase at the meeting precisely 12 months ago.

For the record, she's actually ridden the horse in public six times, being beaten just once, which was over hurdles at Newbury three years ago.

"I'm fitter now than I've ever been," revealed Ford, wife and assistant to Forest Gunner's underrated trainer, Richard.

"I have worked hard doing long canters, which means I have got used to riding up to five miles at a time."

As far as Forest Gunner's preparation for the Aintree marathon goes, he proved his bottle by winging every one of the 22 fences when winning in hock-deep ground over three-and-a-half-miles at Haydock in February.

Some say he was coming to the end of his tether that day when, incidentally, the gelding was ridden Peter Buchanan, who now partners another of the market leaders, Strong Resolve, in today's showpiece.

There's no doubt it was his superior jumping which won the day for Forest Gunner at Haydock, however there was no obvious evidence that he was running out of petrol, rallying most gamely when headed by Double Honour shortly after clearing the final obstacle.

Perhaps the biggest danger to Forest Gunner is himself, because due to his "fizzy" nature, he can be his own worse enemy by tearing off in front at breakneck speed.

Rather than try to put the handbrake on early doors, I personally hope Ford lets him get on with the job, seeing as the gazelle-like gelding's most natural asset is the speed and fluency with which he clears his fences.

Forest Gunner aside, each-way punters have at least three other choices to make, and if you shop around, especially with the internet betting firms, some bookies might even pay on the first six home in the big race.

The number one contender in my book to make the frame has got be Strong Resolve, runner-up in the Welsh National, a similarly stamina-sapping race at Chepstow that has traditionally been a decent yardstick for Aintree.

Lucinda's Russell's grey handles testing ground, jumps and stays well, plus has the heart of a lion. He likes to run up with the pace so, in common with Forest Gunner, the nine-year-old will be able to steer clear of trouble by keeping well away from of some of the slow coaches to the rear.

The long-time ante-post favourite, Hedgehunter, has to enter calculations on the strength of his performance in the race 12 months ago, when denied an almost certain position in the first four by heartbreakingly falling at the last of the 30 fences.

Hedgehunter was bang in contention and how frustrating it must have been for his trainer, Irish ace, Willie Mullins.

The nine-year-old has enjoyed a perfect preparation and with Ruby Walsh replacing the injured David Casey, there's got to be a good chance the combination will be in the mix come the final 200 yards.

Last but not least, Double Honour warrants much respect, even though he's got plenty of miles on the clock.

The Philip Hobbs-trained west-country raider gave Forest Gunner quite a fright when chasing him hone at Haydock last time out.

Flat fans will recall Double Honour finished runner-up in no less a race than the Group 2 Goodwood Cup many moons ago, which just goes to prove how amazingly versatile the modern-day thoroughbred has become.

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