IdleTalk can triumph the Red Rum way

Yet,at 76, I still might not be finished with the Grand National.

I am returning this year to Aintree as assistant trainer to my son, Donald, with a serious chance of winning another Grand National on Saturday.

Neither Donald, who will make a far better fist of the job than I ever did,nor myself would swap our horse, Idle Talk, for any other in the race. The omens from Red Rum's illustrious history are good, as I will explain.

Idle Talk arrived in our yard from Tom George's stable only six weeks ago. We'd heard through the grapevine that he could be for sale and we alerted one of our most prominent owners,Trevor Hemmings, whose horse Hedgehunter won the 2005 Grand National.

Idle Talk, just eight,was entered in the Gold Cup and the Grand National with a solid form line. On the morning after our call, Mr Hemmings had bought the horse for an undisclosed sum.

When Idle Talk unseated Jason Maguire at the fifth fence in the Gold Cup, the horse instinctively kept running and jumping. Gamely, he chased the winner Kauto Star to the line. Some thought that this was far from ideal preparation for the Grand National — but I am not one of them.

You see, Red Rum, in his final prep race at Haydock Park for the 1974 Grand National, parted company with jockey Brian Fletcher when he was struck from behind at the first fence.

Red kept jumping at the front of the field until the end of that race, too. One month later, he won the Grand National again carrying 12st; and we're still waiting all these years later for another horse to achieve backto- back wins.

In those days, I drove a taxi and sold second-hand cars from a modest salesroom in front of a cobbled stableyard in Southport. The local beach, a mile away,was my gallop and the Irish Sea was my equine swimming pool.

Donald now has 80 horses in our yard on the Cholmondeley Estate in Cheshire, with our own all-weather gallop that most mornings I maintain by tractor and harrow.

He has had more than 50 winners in his first season and tomorrow he gives Cloudy Lane a spirited chance in the Irish National at Fairyhouse for Mr Hemmings after the horse triumphed in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at Cheltenham.

The job really is good for us. I still own a few horses and have shares in others. Outside the boxes the staff have identified the owner as Sheikh Ginger al McCain'. I quite like that! As a family, though, we have never forgotten the debt we owe Red Rum,a horse I bought for six thousand guineas, a king's ransom 35 years ago, for a lovely old man called Noel Le Mare,whom I used to drive around town.

Next Saturday, Idle Talk will have a piece of Red's mane plaited on him and he will be given the same box at Aintree as Red always used before the Grand National. We'll observe the usual rituals in the McCain household;my good friend from Ireland, Sean Byrne, will stay with us and talk me silly, and we'll open a bottle of shampoo before we leave for Aintree.

As always,I will take some flowers and walk across the course to Red's grave beside the winning post.I'll have a bit of craic with the Old Lad' when it's quiet.

Donald likes to hide' out of sight for the race, but I'll watch the Grand National from my usual place on the stairwell of the Queen Mother's Stand, where I am proud to say Aintree managing director Charles Barnett unveiled a plaque last year to commemorate it as my spot at Aintree.

Sadly, Charles is leaving after this National,poached by Ascot's management. In 15 years, he has turned Aintree inside out.

Unlike at Cheltenham, the start of the Grand National is in front of the main stands. The roar on Saturday as the tape goes up will be deafening.

I am wary that there are horses in the race with the Aintree Factor; past winners like Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde, who will be trying to win back-to-back Nationals, as well as Clan Royal and Eurotrek, who have proven themselves over the National fences. Joes Edge — if he gets in the race — Billyvoddan, L'Ami and Kelami, owned by John Halewood, for whom I trained Amberleigh House, are worthy of respect.

But I have a strong feeling for Idle Talk. As Donald says, if he gets a safe trip on the first circuit, he would not want to swap him for another horse as they go into the country for a second time.

Come what may, it's a day I am looking forward to with great relish. At my age, I know I'm not going to have a lot more Grand Nationals, so I am going to enjoy myself.